Results
AFIP Wednesday Slide Conference - No. 29
21 May 1997
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- Conference Moderator: Dr. Donald K. Nichols
Diplomate, ACVP
Department of Pathology
National Zoological Park
Washington, D.C. 20008
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Case I - 96-262-8 (AFIP 2562338)
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- Signalment: An approximately 1-year-old (adult) male,
common cuttlefish, (Sepia officinalis).
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- History: This cuttlefish was exhibited at the Invertebrate
Unit of the National Zoo throughout its captive life span. It
died after showing signs of weakness and anorexia.
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- Gross Pathology: Multiple pin-point to 3mm white spots
were found throughout the visceral organs with 1 cm caseous nodules
present in the stomach and digestive gland.
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- Laboratory Results: Citrobacter freundii and group
D Enterococcus were cultured from the heart lesion.
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- Contributor's Diagnoses and Comments:
1. Mantle, skeletal muscle: Myositis, amebocytic, multifocal,
moderate, with bacilli, common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis),
cephalopod.
2. Systemic heart: Endomyocarditis, amebocytic, diffuse, moderate,
with multifocal necrosis.
3. Digestive gland: Adenitis, amebocytic, necrotizing, multifocal,
moderate, with bacilli.
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- Bacterial septicemia in cuttlefish can result from lesions
of the fins and mantle associated with trauma and aggression.
Panophthalmitis is a common finding. Cephalopods have one type
of blood cell, called hemocytes or amebocytes, which contain
large eosinophilic granules and monomorphic nuclei. In tissue
sections, the cells often appear to have "degranulated"
appearing monocyte-like.
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- AFIP Diagnoses:
- 1. Mantle, skeletal muscle: Myositis, amebocytic, multifocal,
moderate, with bacilli, common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis),
cephalopod.
2. Systemic heart: Endomyocarditis, amebocytic, diffuse, moderate,
with multifocal necrosis.
3. Digestive gland: Adenitis, amebocytic, necrotizing, multifocal,
moderate, with bacilli.
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- Conference Note: The conference participants agreed
with the contributor's interpretation of septicemia. Please note
that some histoslides contain only sections of the systemic heart
and digestive gland. In these sections, the lesion within the
digestive gland is more extensive, and the lesion of the systemic
heart is a focal, nodular endocarditis.
- Cuttlefish are creatures with many unique anatomic features.
They have a total of three hearts: one systemic heart which is
most like that of mammals and two branchial hearts. Cuttlefish
hearts are part of an essentially closed circulatory system and
all are prone to bacterial seeding during septicemia. Cuttlefish
do not have a true liver or pancreas but do have a digestive
gland which has been called liver or hepatopancreas by some.
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- Contributor: National Zoological Park, Department
of Pathology, 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008.
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- References:
1. Scimeca Jr. JM, Oestmann D: Selected diseases of captive and
laboratory reared cephalopods. Proc Intl Assoc Aquatic Anim Med
26:79, 1995.
- 2. Ratcliffe NA, Rowley AF: Invertebrate Blood Cells. Academic
Press Inc. New York, pp. 301-323, 1981.
- 3. Berzins IK, Maslanka PL, Montali RJ, Davis KJ & Pletcher
JM: Anatomy & Histology of the common cuttlefish Sepia offininalis.
AFIP (Study set available through interlibrary loan).
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- International Veterinary Pathology Slide Bank: None.
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Case II - 19609-95 (AFIP 2548082)
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- Signalment: Tissue from an adult male Bengal cat.
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- History: The patient had a cluster of rapidly enlarging
subcutaneous lumps in the inguinal area. The cat was not febrile
and was reported by the owner to be eating and drinking normally.
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- Gross Pathology: Only fixed specimens were received,
and these consisted of several fatty soft tissue specimens that
floated in formalin. The tissue had a yellow-tan color.
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- Laboratory Results:
Feed analysis: Selenium - 0.56 ug/g dry weight.
Vit. E (acetate) 60.16 ug/g;
Vit. E (alpha tocopherol) 6.60 ug/g (=9.83 IU)
Dry weight ratio: 0.963
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- Contributor's Diagnosis and Comments: Chronic multifocal
suppurative, eosinophilic and granulomatous panniculitis, with
fibrosis.
- The amount and character of inflammation varies between specimens,
but an effort was made to include at least one focus of suppuration
in each slide. The active nature of the lesion, occasional cholesterol
clefts and brownish color of the specimen suggested the possibility
of nutritional pansteatitis. Faintly acid fast material compatible
with ceroid was observed in appropriately stained sections. However,
the clinical syndrome classically associated with nutritional
pansteatitis was not observed, and the cat was afebrile, eating,
and gave no evidence of malaise. The possible presence of internal
lesions was not investigated.
- The cat was maintained on a commercial diet, and although
additional specimens from the cat were not submitted, the feed
was analyzed for Vitamin E concentrations, as presented above.
Although these are relatively normal (published values suggest
80 mg/400 kCal for cats, and above 50 IU/kg feed for dogs), fat
analysis was not done.
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- AFIP Diagnosis: Adipose tissue: Steatitis, granulomatous,
necrotizing, multifocal, moderate, with multifocal fibrosis,
inflamed granulation tissue, multinucleate giant cells with intracytoplasmic
cholesterol clefts, and scattered touton giant cells, Bengal
cat, feline.
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- Conference Note: Note that the Bengal cat is a breed
of domestic cat.
- The conference participants did not interpret the clinical
history, laboratory data, and lesions consistent with nutritional
pansteatitis. Ceroid pigment was not observed in the sections
examined during the conference. An acid-fast stained section
demonstrated small amounts of acid fast material in some granulomas
and giant cells.
Feline pansteatitis is a nutritional disease caused by severe
vitamin E deficiency. The condition usually results from a diet
deficient in vitamin E or with excessive amounts of highly unsaturated
fatty acids, which destroy vitamin E. Most cases are caused by
an exclusive diet of red canned tuna or by excessive cod liver
oil supplementation. Grossly, multiple, irregular, firm nodules
develop diffusely in the subcutis and the abdominal mesenteric
fat. Systemic signs of fever, malaise, pain, anorexia, lethargy
or hyperexcitability, and depression may precede or occur simultaneously
with the development of nodules. The condition is frequently
fatal.
- Microscopically, nutritional pansteatitis is characterized
by nodular to diffuse subcuticular inflammation. There is deposition
of yellow to yellow-brown, acid-fast ceroid pigment between adipocytes
of the subcutaneous fat. Deposits may approach the size of normal
adipocytes. Similar ceroid pigment may be seen within macrophages
and giant cells. Neutrophils may be present in the early stages
but granulomatous inflammation soon predominates. Adipocytes
may be necrotic; there may be saponification and cholesterol
cleft formation.
- Diagnosis is usually not difficult, since typical ceroid
deposition is highly characteristic. Other types of panniculitis
in cats include those caused by trauma, foreign bodies, bacterial
and fungal infections, and injections; idiopathic sterile nodular
panniculitis is another variety. The cause of the lesion in the
present case is undetermined. A Fite Faraco acid fast stain,
Brown and Hopps Gram's stain, Brown and Brenn Gram's stain, and
the GMS method did not demonstrate infectious agents. No foreign
bodies were observed. Cultures are needed to exclude the possibility
of an infectious process.
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- Contributor: University of Missouri, P.O. Box 6023,
1100 East Rollins, Columbia, MO 65205.
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- References:
Gross TL, Ihrke PJ, and Walder EJ: Veterinary Dermatopathology,
1st ed. Mosby-Year Book, Inc, St. Louis, pp. 323-324, 1992.
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- International Veterinary Pathology Slide Bank:
Laser disc frame #467, 773, 2807, 4894, 7888.
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Case III - D958139 (AFIP 2549854)
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- Signalment: A twenty-year-old, female, bighorn sheep.
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- History: The animal had intermittent diarrhea for
2 weeks. The sheep eventually became anoretic and moribund. Euthanasia
was elected.
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- Gross Pathology: None.
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- Laboratory Results: None.
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- Contributor's Diagnosis and Comments: Moderate, diffuse,
chronic lymphoplasmacytic protozoal enteritis.
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- Etiology Besnoitia spp.
- Besnoitia is a cyst forming coccidian parasite belonging
to the family Sarcocystidae, and the subfamily Toxoplasmatinae.
It has a world wide distribution with considerable economic importance
in certain regions of Africa and Asia. Besnoitia have been found
in equine, bovine, caprine, ovine and murine species. The coccidian
parasite has a predilection for skin; however, it can be found
in other tissues of the body such as intestine, mesentery, adrenal
and testicle.
- It has a two-host life cycle. The definitive hosts are felids,
and the intermediate hosts vary with the parasitic species. The
definitive hosts shed unsporulated oocysts in the feces. Oocysts
sporulate, and are ingested by an intermediate host. Sporozoites
excyst and multiply asexually into clusters of tachyzoites that
initiate cyst development in connective tissue. These cysts are
spherical, white, glistening, and thick walled. They contain
many thousands of PAS-positive bradyzoites and grow to several
millimeters in diameter. The wall is often 10 microns thick or
thicker.
- Besnoitia infection is usually asymptomatic; however, fever,
anasarca, rhinitis, orchitis, lymphadenopathy and diarrhea may
occur. A live tissue culture adapted vaccine has been implemented
in countries that are heavily infested with Besnoitia. Treatment
consists of isolating affected animals and symptomatic therapy.
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- AFIP Diagnosis:
- 1. Small intestine: Enteritis, subacute, diffuse, mild, with
mucosal hyperplasia, multifocal villar blunting and fusion, crypt
abscesses, microerosions, and epithelial and lamina proprial
coccidian protozoa.
2. Small intestine, Peyer's patch: Hyperplasia, lymphoid, moderate.
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- Conference Note: Although careful consideration was
given to the identification of the protozoa as Besnoitia sp.,
the conference participants believed that the protozoa were consistent
with Eimeria sp. rather than Besnoitia sp. This case was also
reviewed by our consulting parasitologist, Dr. Chris Gardiner,
who agreed that the organisms are consistent with an Eimeria
sp. The cysts of Besnoitia characteristically have a thick hyaline
wall with eccentrically placed host cell nuclei. The organisms
in these sections have a thin, non-hyalinized wall and rare host
cell nuclei. Rare macrogametes were noted within epithelial cells
in some sections.
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- Contributor: P.A.L. PATH, INC., 1277 Record Crossing
Road, Dallas, TX 75325.
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- References:
1. Adam KMG, Paul J, Zaman V: Medical and Veterinary Protozoology,
Churchill Livingstone, pp. 50-57, 1971.
- 2. Gardiner CH, Fayer R, and Dubey JP: An Atlas of Protozoan
Parasites in Animal Tissues. USDA Handbook No. 651: 48-49, 1988.
- 3. Hammond DM and Long PL: The Coccidia, University Park
Press: 391-395, 1973.
- 4. Ng'ang'a CJ, and Kasigazi S: Caprine besnoitosis: Studies
on the experimental intermediate hosts and the role of the domestic
cat in transmission. Vet Parasitol 52:207-210, 1994.
- 5. Wallace GD and Frenkel JK: Besnoitia species (Protozoa,
Sporozoa, Toxoplasmatidae). Recognition of cyclic transmission
by cats. Science, 188:369-371, 1975.
- 6. Coetzer JAW, Thomson GR, Tustin RC (eds): Infectious disease
of livestock with special reference to southern Africa. Vol.
1, Oxford University Press, pp. 245-252, 1994.
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- International Veterinary Pathology Slide Bank:
Laser disc frame #(Eimeria) 2839, 5680, 20614, 20616: (Besnoitia)
7267, 8065, 22143.
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Case IV - RP 5960 (AFIP 2549707)
- Signalment: 25-day-old, male, captive, aplomado falcon
(Falco femoralis).
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- History: This nestling had been artificially incubated
and was being hand-reared. It was found dead without premonitory
signs.
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- Gross Pathology: The liver was moderately enlarged,
but the color and consistency of the parenchyma were within normal
limits.
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- Laboratory Results: Aerobic bacterial cultures of
liver were negative.
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- Contributor's Diagnosis and Comments: Hepatitis, acute,
necrotizing, multifocal, moderate, with intranuclear inclusion
bodies, biliary hypertrophy and hyperplasia, and intracellular
bile pigment.
- This bird was one of approximately 80 young aplomados that
died during an adenovirus outbreak. The histopathologic features
in many cases could be consistent with either a herpesvirus or
adenovirus etiology. Many inclusions were large and basophilic,
filling the nucleus, but there were also variable numbers of
smaller eosinophilic inclusions, surrounded by a clear halo.
Hepatitis was the primary lesion, but hemorrhagic enteritis with
inclusions bodies was also seen in a number of birds. Viral inclusions
were most common in hepatocytes, but were also seen the biliary
epithelial cells in some cases. Viral inclusions were also seen
in the bursa of Fabricius and bone marrow. Electron microscopy
revealed the presence of viral particles morphologically consistent
with an adenovirus (AFIP, Washington, DC). The particles were
limited to the nucleus, sometimes forming paracrystalline arrays.
Most particles were hexagonal, 58-70 nm in diameter, and electron
dense. Occasional virions were electron lucent, with a circular
core and a hexagonal capsid. No budding particles were found.
Polymerase chain reaction tests using a consensus herpesvirus
primer were negative (Dr. Richard Garber, Pathogenesis Corporation,
Seattle, WA). Attempts to isolate virus (from fresh liver and
liver frozen at -70 C) in chick embryos and liver cell lines
were unsuccessful. Serology (by agar gel immunodiffusion) for
type I and type II adenoviruses on surviving birds was negative.
Fatal adenovirus infections have rarely been reported in raptors.
This is the first identification of an adenovirus in aplomado
falcons. The diet, which consisted exclusively of cotournix quail,
is speculated to be the source of the infections, but studies
to verify this are still underway. Adenovirus has not been reported
in cotournix quail.
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- AFIP Diagnosis: Liver: Hepatitis, necrotizing, multifocal,
periportal and random, acute to subacute, with bile stasis and
eosinophilic and basophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies, aplomado
falcon (Falco femoralis), avian.
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- Conference Note: The conference participants agreed
with the contributor's diagnosis and comments. In addition to
the aplomado falcons, six young peregrine falcons also died and
had similar lesions during the outbreak described above. A report
of this outbreak is being prepared for publication.
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- Contributor: The Zoological Society of San Diego,
Department of Pathology, P.O. Box 551, San Diego, CA 92112-0551.
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- References:
1. Ritchie BW: Avian Viruses: Function and Control. pp. 328-329.
Wingers Publishing, Inc., Lake Worth Florida, 1995.
- 2. Schelling SG, Garlick DS and Alroy J: Adenoviral hepatitis
in a merlin. Vet Pathol 26:529-530, 1989.
- 3. Sileo L, Franson JC, Graham DL, Domermuth CD, Rattner
BA, and Pattee OH: Hemorrhagic enteritis in captive American
kestrels. J Wildl Dis 19(3):244-247, 1983.
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- International Veterinary Pathology Slide Bank: None.
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- Lance Batey
Captain, VC, USA
Registry of Veterinary Pathology*
Department of Veterinary Pathology
Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
(202)782-2615; DSN: 662-2615
Internet: Batey@email.afip.osd.mil
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- * The American Veterinary Medical Association and the American
College of Veterinary Pathologists are co-sponsors of the Registry
of Veterinary Pathology. The C.L. Davis Foundation also provides
substantial support for the Registry.
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