Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Lymphoma causing appetite loss and vomiting in African pygmy hedgehog
By Cazzini, Paola et al.·Published in Veterinary clinical pathology·2019·Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Lymphoma with Mott cell differentiation and validation of immunohistochemical lymphoid markers in an African pygmy hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris).
- Species:
- wildlife
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old female African pygmy hedgehog was brought to the vet because she had been eating less for two months, losing weight, and recently vomiting. The vet found a large mass in her abdomen, and tests showed that she had lymphoma, a type of cancer affecting her lymphatic system. Sadly, after further examination, it was clear that the cancer had spread significantly, affecting her spleen, liver, and lymph nodes. Unfortunately, despite the diagnosis, the outcome was not positive, and the hedgehog passed away due to the advanced disease.
People also search for: hedgehog vomiting · hedgehog weight loss · lymphoma in hedgehogs · hedgehog cancer symptoms
Abstract
A 2-year-old female intact African pygmy hedgehog was presented for diagnostic investigation of a 2-month reduction in appetite, with weight loss and recent vomiting. Clinical examination revealed a large, firm mass originating from the left cranial abdomen. Ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspirates of the mass, liver, and mesenteric lymph nodes revealed a population of pleomorphic round cells, some of which contained variable numbers of round, clear vacuoles, consistent with a diagnosis of lymphoma with Mott cell differentiation. At postmortem examination, there was marked diffuse splenic enlargement, with infiltration by a soft tissue mass. There were multiple coalescing liver masses, kidney pallor, and mesenteric lymph node enlargements. On histologic examination, the spleen, lymph nodes, and masses in the liver were extensively infiltrated by proliferating lymphoid cells that had plasmacytoid and Mott cell differentiation. Cells with Mott cell morphology had an accumulation of periodic acid-Schiff-positive material in cytoplasmic inclusions and were positive for cytoplasmic nucleic acids when stained with methyl green pyronin. In the population of neoplastic lymphoid cells, a majority of cells expressed the transcription factor Pax5, which drives B-cell differentiation, and a minority expressed transcription factor IRF4/MUM-1, which drives plasma cell differentiation, indicating B-cell lymphoma with plasmacytoid differentiation.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31837029/