Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Squamous cell skin cancer in an African grey parrot with wounds
By Klaphake, E. et al.·Published in Veterinary Record·2006·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine University of Tennessee Knoxville TN 37996 USA, United States·View original on Crossref →
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Original publication title: Multisite integumentary squamous cell carcinoma in an African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus erithacus)
- Species:
- bird
Plain-English summary
A 22-year-old male African grey parrot was brought in for chronic feather picking and self-mutilation, along with two significant wounds on its body. Despite initial treatment with antibiotics and wound care, the bird's condition did not improve. Biopsies revealed that both wounds were squamous cell carcinoma (a type of skin cancer). The left tumor was surgically removed, and the right tumor was treated with weekly injections of cisplatin, but the parrot's health worsened after a month, leading to euthanasia. The cancer had spread to surrounding tissues, likely due to long-term trauma.
People also search for: African grey parrot skin cancer · feather picking in parrots · squamous cell carcinoma treatment in birds
Abstract
A 22‐year‐old male African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus erithacus) had had episodes of chronic feather picking and self‐mutilation for 10 years; it had a 5 cm diameter right axillary wound and a 2 cm left dorsal patagial wound. Initial treatment with azithromycin and wound management was unsuccessful. Biopsies of both masses indicated squamous cell carcinoma. The left patagial tumour was removed completely by electrocautery. Cisplatin was administered weekly into multiple sites on the right axillary tumour and it initially appeared to regress; however, the bird’s condition deteriorated after a month of treatment, and it was euthanased. The tumour was confirmed postmortem to be squamous cell carcinoma, which had invaded local tissues. The aetiology of the carcinoma may have been secondary to chronic focal trauma.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Crossref: https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.158.17.593