Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Skin lymphangiosarcoma tumor in African green monkey from St Kitts
By Bochynska D et al.·2026·Department of Biomedical Sciences·View original on Europe PMC →
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Original publication title: Cutaneous lymphangiosarcoma in an African green monkey from St. Kitts, and a literature review.
- Species:
- wildlife
Plain-English summary
A 22-year-old male African green monkey had a large, ulcerated mass on his left side that was examined after he passed away. The examination showed that the mass was made up of abnormal cells that were forming channels, which is typical of a type of cancer called lymphangiosarcoma (a cancer affecting the lymphatic vessels). This type of cancer had not been reported in monkeys before, making this case particularly unique. The findings emphasize how important it is to use different methods, like looking at the tissue under a microscope and using special stains, to correctly identify rare tumors. Unfortunately, the outcome for this monkey was not positive, as he did not survive.
Abstract
A 22-y-old, intact male African green monkey (<i>Chlorocebus sabaeus</i>) with a pedunculated cutaneous ulcerated spheroid mass on the left flank was autopsied. Histologically, the mass was infiltrative, with neoplastic cells forming empty vascular channels lined by a monolayer of polygonal neoplastic cells, many with eosinophilic intracytoplasmic granules, supported by abundant fibrous stroma. Immunohistochemically, neoplastic cells had strong immunolabeling with vimentin, moderate immunolabeling with LYVE1 and PROX1 antibodies, and no cytokeratin or CD31 immunolabeling. Ultrastructurally, a basal lamina was absent, nuclei had a 1:4 heterochromatin:euchromatin ratio, with a mild-to-moderate increase in thickness and asymmetrically distributed nuclear fibrous lamina, enlarged compacted nucleolus, round mitochondria, conspicuous rough endoplasmic reticulum, and membrane-bound electron-dense granules. Intercellular desmosomes were present in clusters of neoplastic cells. Lymphangiosarcoma has not been previously reported in non-human primates, to our knowledge. Our case highlights the importance of integrating histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and ultrastructural analysis to accurately diagnose rare vascular tumors, such as lymphangiosarcoma.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Europe PMC: https://europepmc.org/article/MED/41940784