Central Nervous System B-cell Lymphoma in a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

Abstract

An adult bald eagle ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus) presented for nystagmus and an inability to fly. On physical examination, the eagle was open-mouth breathing and tachycardic at 200 beats per minute, had a wrinkled cere and sunken eyes, and was an estimated 10% dehydrated. Additionally, the eagle was extremely weak, with neurologic abnormalities including bilateral proprioceptive deficits, nystagmus, and no pupillary light reflex in the left eye. Despite aggressive treatment, the eagle continued to decline rapidly and subsequently died. On histologic examination, diffuse and widespread infiltration of neoplastic lymphocytes was present in the brain, optic nerves, and pecten. Immunohistochemical PAX-5 labeling confirmed B-cell lymphoma confined to the eye and nervous system. Test results for select avian retroviruses, Marek's disease, West Nile virus, avian influenza viruses, and Mycoplasma were negative. To our knowledge, this is the first report of B-cell lymphoma in a bald eagle. Although rare, this condition is a differential diagnosis in cases of neurologic or ocular diseases in birds.

Splenic Small Cell Lymphoma with Presumed Secondary Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia in an African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus)

“…[20][21][22] Consequently, MUM-1 immunohistochemistry was not performed in this case. Pax-5, a B-cell marker in mammalian species that has been shown to react with some avian tissues, 3,7 was negative in this case. For penguins, immunohistochemical markers that have been tested include CD3, CD79a, CD20, CD45, BLA.36, and vimentin, [20][21][22] but the only marker successfully detected has been CD3.…”

“…Lymphoma originates from primary (thymus and cloacal bursa), secondary (spleen, bone marrow, and mural lymphoid nodules), or tertiary lymphoid tissue (ectopic lymphoid tissue) and can infiltrate almost any tissue in the body. 3,4 It is the most common neoplasm reported in avian species 5.6 and has previously been described in the following avian orders: Accipitriformes, 7 Anseriformes, [8][9][10] Galliformes, 11 Passeriformes, 12,13 Psittaciformes, [14][15][16][17][18][19] Sphenisciformes, [20][21][22] and Strigiformes. 23 Although most cases are reported in geriatric patients, 4 there are also reports in patients younger than 4 years of age, as for the penguin described in this report.…”

“…4 Other supportive diagnostic tests used in the diagnosis of lymphoma include a CBC, plasma biochemistry panel, bone marrow cytology, ultrasonography, and radiographic and CT imaging. 7,10,15,17,19,20,23,29 Diagnostic tests performed for this case are listed in Table 1, and there were 2 significant findings: a progressive anemia with marked regenerative response and diffuse splenomegaly on radiographic and CT images. Other diagnostic findings included a consistently elevated CK and AST, which were suspected to be secondary to handling and restraint rather than systemic disease.…”

Concurrent Diffuse B-cell Lymphoma and Paraganglioma in a Red-tailed Boa (Boa constrictor constrictor) with Inclusion Body Disease

“…Pax5, known as B-cell specific activator protein, is a reliable marker to diagnose canine (Ramos-Vara and Borst, 2017), feline (Ramos-Vara and Borst, 2017), and human (Desouki et al ., 2010) B-cell lymphoma. More recently, Pax5 was used to diagnose an anaplastic B-cell lymphoma in a bald eagle ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ) (Visser et al ., 2018) and a bi-phenotypic lymphoma in a central bearded dragon ( Pogona vitticeps ) (Rooney et al ., 2022). This case demonstrates the efficacy of Pax5 in snakes (Boidae, at least), which allowed an unequivocal diagnosis of B-cell lymphoma.…”

Linfoma em aves

“…Linfoma de células B foi diagnosticado através da imunohistoquímica em Águia-de-cabeçabranca (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) que teve uma infiltração difusa de linfócitos neoplásicos em cérebro e nervo óptico. (VISSER et al, 2018).…”