Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Rabbit with thymoma causing periodic eye bulging and high calcium
By Vernau, K M et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·1995·Department of Neurology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Thymoma in a geriatric rabbit with hypercalcemia and periodic exophthalmos.
- Species:
- rabbit
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old rabbit was brought to the vet because of intermittent bulging of both eyes and a noticeable mass in the chest. The rabbit also had high calcium levels and was losing weight, leading to further examination. Surgery was performed to remove a large mass, which was found to be a thymoma (a type of tumor). Unfortunately, the rabbit had complications after the surgery and was euthanized. The eye bulging and high calcium levels were likely related to the tumor.
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Abstract
An 8-year-old rabbit was referred to an ophthalmologist because of intermittent bilateral exophthalmos and prolapse of the nictitating membranes. Both eyes could be retropulsed normally, and the exophthalmos was induced with ventroflexion. The rabbit had moderate hypercalcemia and a large mediastinal mass that could be seen on thoracic radiographs. The rabbit's condition was unchanged for 5 months. It was reexamined because of weight loss and paroxysmal coughing and, at that time, was thin and tachypneic, and had reduced thoracic compliance. Thoracotomy was performed, and a 5-cm-diameter encapsulated mass, subsequently determined histologically to be thymoma, was removed. The rabbit was euthanatized after surgery because of complications. The periodic exophthalmos and hypercalcemia in this rabbit were believed to be paraneoplastic syndromes.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7759335/