This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hamir, A. N. Articles by Heidel, J. R. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Hamir, A. N. Articles by Heidel, J. R. Social Bookmarking                            What's this?

Diagnostic Exercise: Astrocytoma with Involvement of Medulla Oblongata, Spinal Cord, and Spinal Nerves in a Raccoon (Procyon lotor)

College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Magruder Hall, Corvallis, OR¹

Abstract

Neoplasms affecting the central and peripheral nervous systems of wild animals are extremely rare. Described are clinical signs and pathologic and immunohistochemical findings in an adult female raccoon (Procyon lotor) with an astrocytoma that involved medulla, cervical spinal cord, and roots of the cervical spinal nerves. Microscopically, the neoplastic cells revealed some pleomorphism but generally had fusiform morphology and showed moderate numbers of mitotic figures. Glial fibrillary acidic protein was demonstrated within the neoplastic cells by immunohistochemistry. This appears to be the only reported case of astrocytoma that involved multiple anatomic sites in the central nervous system of this raccoon.

Key words: Astrocytoma (brain, spinal cord, nerves); glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP); raccoons (Procyon lotor).

Request reprints from Dr. Amir N Hamir, National Animal Disease Center, ARS, USDA, 2300 Dayton AvenuePO Box 70,, Ames, IA 50010 (USA). E-mail: Amir.Hamir{at}ars.usda.gov

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Facebook    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?