Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Budgerigar with beak fracture caused by leiomyosarcoma tumor
By Rasche, Brittany L et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2023·Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Beak fracture associated with leiomyosarcoma in a budgerigar (): a case report and literature review.
- Species:
- bird
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old male budgerigar was found to have a broken beak and showed signs of difficulty breathing, lethargy, and unsteady movements. Unfortunately, the bird passed away after just one day of these symptoms. A closer examination revealed that the fracture was linked to a type of cancer called leiomyosarcoma, which is a tumor that can invade nearby tissues. This case is notable because it is the first reported instance of this type of tumor occurring in a budgerigar's beak.
People also search for: budgerigar beak fracture · bird breathing problems · leiomyosarcoma in birds · budgie cancer symptoms
Abstract
A 2-year-old male budgerigar () died after a 1-day history of fracture of the rostral rhinotheca with pale mucous membranes, dyspnea, dull mentation, and ataxia. Histopathology revealed an infiltrative neoplasm composed of interweaving streams of spindle cells effacing the dermis and bone of the rostral upper beak as well as a ganglion and two cranial nerves. No visceral metastasis was observed. Neoplastic cells exhibited strong cytoplasmic immunolabeling for alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and lacked immunolabeling for S100, Melan-A, PNL2, and cytokeratin AE1/AE3. These findings were consistent with a locally invasive leiomyosarcoma Leiomyosarcomas arise from the smooth muscle and are locally invasive with rare metastases. In birds, leiomyosarcomas are mostly reported to arise from the spleen, gastrointestinal, and reproductive tracts. In the case report herein, we describe the histological and immunohistochemical features of a primary beak leiomyosarcoma in a budgerigar associated with a fracture located at the rostral rhinotheca. Leiomyosarcoma arising from the beak has not been described in the literature.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38144467/