Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Air sac cancer causing breathing trouble in a Quaker parrot
By Loukopoulos, Panayiotis et al.Ā·Published in Journal of zoo and wildlife medicine : official publication of the American Association of Zoo VeterinariansĀ·2014Ā·View original on PubMed ā
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Original publication title: Air sac adenocarcinoma of the sternum in a Quaker parrot (Myiopsitta monachus).
- Species:
- bird
Plain-English summary
A 17-year-old Quaker parrot was brought to the vet after showing signs of not eating, being lethargic, and having trouble breathing for two weeks. The vet found a large, firm mass in the bird's chest area, and X-rays confirmed it was affecting the heart and liver. Despite supportive treatment, the parrot sadly passed away during a follow-up visit. A post-mortem examination revealed the mass was an air sac adenocarcinoma, a rare type of cancer in birds.
People also search for: Quaker parrot respiratory distress Ā· bird not eating and lethargic Ā· parrot cancer symptoms
Abstract
Respiratory neoplasia is rarely reported in avian species. A 17-yr-old Quaker parrot (Myiopsitta monachus) was admitted with a 2-wk history of anorexia, depression, and respiratory distress. Clinical examination revealed a large, firm mass in the left pectoral muscle. Radiology showed a mass silhouetting the heart and the liver. Supportive treatment was provided, but the bird died during the seventh weekly visit to drain thoracic cavity fluid. Necropsy showed a white, 3 x 3 x 2-cm, hard, gritty sternal mass. Histology showed a nonencapsulated, moderately differentiated air sac carcinoma of the sternum. Immunohistochemically the neoplasm was cytokeratin positive and vimentin and calretinin negative. This is the first report of an air sac neoplasia in a Quaker parrot and one of few respiratory tumors in psittacines.
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Search related cases āOriginal publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25632693/