Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Endogenous lipid pneumonia causing lung disease in an African grey
By Costa, T et al.·Published in Journal of comparative pathology·2013·Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animals, Spain·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Endogenous lipid pneumonia in an African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus erithacus).
- Species:
- bird
Plain-English summary
A 35-year-old African grey parrot was brought to the vet because it had been acting depressed for several months, with a sudden worsening of symptoms just two days before. Unfortunately, the parrot died shortly after arriving at the clinic. A thorough examination revealed serious lung issues, including a rare condition called endogenous lipid pneumonia, along with other health problems like severe hardening of the arteries and liver disease. This case highlights how complex respiratory issues can be in birds, especially when they have multiple underlying health concerns.
People also search for: African grey parrot respiratory distress · parrot depression symptoms · lipid pneumonia in birds
Abstract
Lipid pneumonia is an unusual, non-infectious, inflammatory lung disease characterized by patchy pneumonic consolidation secondary to accumulation of lipid in macrophages. It can be classified as exogenous or endogenous, depending on whether it is associated with the aspiration of foreign material. Endogenous lipid pneumonia (EnLP) has been reported in many mammal species. In pet birds, EnLP is an incidental and uncommon lesion of unknown pathogenesis. A 35-year-old African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus erithacus) was presented for depression lasting several months, with marked worsening over the 2 days prior to presentation. The animal died shortly after admission. Necropsy examination showed that the lungs were firm with diffuse grey discolouration. Microscopically, there was EnLP, anthracosis, severe atherosclerosis and hepatic amyloidosis. Although the pathogenesis of EnLP in birds is not clear, it has been associated with concurrent atherosclerosis, hepatic diseases and other lesions of the respiratory tract. This is the first description of EnLP in a bird associated with severe respiratory distress.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23582929/