Spontaneous lesions in the reproductive tract and mammary gland of female non-human primates.

Abstract

Because of their close phylogenic relationship with humans, the use of non-human primates (NHP) as experimental subjects has a long history in biomedical research. Although research topics have shifted focus and species used have changed, NHP remain vital as models in basic and applied research. While there is a wealth of information available on the spontaneous lesions of NHP, most of this information is fragmented, dated, or narrow in focus, often limited to single case reports. This review attempts to integrate this information to illustrate and enumerate the spectrum of spontaneous pathology of the reproductive tract and mammary gland of NHP. Although not the focus of this review, steroid-related changes are inextricably linked to these tissues, and brief consideration is given to this subject as well.