Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Neck cysts causing lumps in two Amazon parrots
By Beaufrère, Hugues et al.·Published in Journal of avian medicine and surgery·2010·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Branchial cysts in two Amazon parrots (Amazona species).
- Species:
- bird
Plain-English summary
A 37-year-old yellow-crowned Amazon parrot and a 20-year-old red-lored Amazon parrot both had large lumps on their necks. The yellow-crowned parrot didn't show any signs of pain and ate normally, while the red-lored parrot had mild stomach discomfort. Tests revealed that both lumps were cysts, with the second parrot's cyst being infected. During surgery, the cysts were removed, and the yellow-crowned parrot had a carcinoma (a type of cancer) in the cyst lining. Both parrots recovered after the surgery, but the findings highlight that branchial cysts are rare in birds.
People also search for: Amazon parrot neck lump · parrot cyst treatment · yellow-crowned Amazon parrot cancer · red-lored Amazon parrot surgery recovery
Abstract
A 37-year-old yellow-crowned Amazon parrot (Amazona ochrocephala) and a 20-year-old red-lored Amazon parrot (Amazona autumnalis) each presented with a large mass localized on the lateral neck. With the first bird, there was no evidence of signs of pain or discomfort, and the bird prehended and swallowed food normally. The second bird showed signs of mild upper-gastrointestinal discomfort. Results of an ultrasound examination and aspiration of the mass on each bird revealed a cystic structure. A computed tomography performed on the second bird revealed a large polycystic mass connected to the pharynx by a lateral tract. During surgical resection, both masses were found to originate from the subpharyngeal area. Based on topography and the histopathologic and immunohistochemical results, the masses were determined to be a second branchial cleft cyst for the first case and a second branchial pouch cyst for the second case. In addition, a carcinoma was present in situ within the epithelium of case 1, and the cyst in case 2 was secondarily infected. Branchial cysts are uncommonly diagnosed in veterinary and human medicine. These 2 cases are the first documented in parrots and appear similar to second branchial cysts reported in adult humans.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20496605/