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Vet Pathol 45:934-938 (2008)
© 2008 American College of Veterinary Pathologists
WILDLIFE, MARINE, AND ZOO ANIMALS

Anaplastic Astrocytoma in the Spinal Cord of an African Pygmy Hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris)

C. J. Gibson, N. M. A. Parry, R. M. Jakowski and D. Eshar

Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Pathology (CJG, NMAP, RMJ) and Department of Clinical Sciences (DE), North Grafton, MA

Abstract

A 2-year-old, female hedgehog presented with an 8-month history of progressive, ascending paresis/paralysis and was tentatively diagnosed with wobbly hedgehog syndrome. She died awaiting further diagnostic tests, and the owners consented to postmortem examination. Grossly, the bladder was large and flaccid and the cervical and lumbar spinal cord were regionally enlarged, light grey, and friable with multifocal hemorrhages. The thoracic spinal cord was grossly normal. Microscopically all regions of the spinal cord had similar changes, although the cervical and lumbar sections were most severely affected. These regions were completely effaced by a moderately cellular infiltration of highly pleomorphic polygonal to spindle shaped cells, mineralization, and necrosis, which were most consistent with anaplastic astrocytoma. The thoracic spinal cord white matter was similarly infiltrated by the neoplastic cells, with perivascular extension into the otherwise normal grey matter. A diagnosis of anaplastic astrocytoma was confirmed using immunohistochemical stains that were positive for glial fibrillary acidic protein and S100.

Key words: Astrocytoma; hedgehogs; immunohistochemistry; spinal cord.

Request reprints from Dr. Christopher Gibson, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Pathology, 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, MA 01536 (USA). E-mail: Chris.gibson{at}tufts.edu






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