Clinical management and outcome of four-toed hedgehogs (<i>Atelerix albiventris</i>) with histiocytic sarcoma

Abstract

Four-toed hedgehogs presented bloody stool and loss of appetite. Integumental masses were observed in two of the four cases. Intraabdominal masses were observed on radiographs and ultrasonography in the remaining two cases. The masses were surgically removed from all four cases. All samples were histologically and immunohistochemically consistent with histiocytic sarcoma (HS). At the time of surgery, 3 of 4 cases had grossly recognized metastatic/disseminated lesions. Survival time was 48 days, 64 days, and 113 days, respectively, and the remaining case is currently alive (at Day 207). The present report describes the clinical management and outcome of hedgehogs that were diagnosed with HS.

Primary localized histiocytic sarcoma of the lumbar vertebrae in a four-toed hedgehog (<i>Atelerix albiventris</i>)

“…Reports describing details of hematopoietic tumors in four-toed hedgehogs remain limited [ 2 , 8 ]. Some case reports have described clinical courses and pathological features of HS in four-toed hedgehogs, occurring at the subcutis, brain, mesenteric lymph node and intraabdominal mass of unknown origin including dissemination form [ 7 , 10 , 13 , 14 ]. One case series indicated that HS in four-toed hedgehogs presented an aggressive biological behavior with guarded prognosis similar to that in dogs [ 7 ].…”

“…Some case reports have described clinical courses and pathological features of HS in four-toed hedgehogs. The age of affected animals ranges from 1.5 to 3.7 years, with primary sites reported were the subcutis, brain, mesenteric lymph node and intraabdominal mass of unknown origin [ 7 , 10 , 13 , 14 ]. Disseminated HS (DHS), a subcategory with lesions forming in multiple organs, also have been reported [ 7 , 13 ].…”

“…The age of affected animals ranges from 1.5 to 3.7 years, with primary sites reported were the subcutis, brain, mesenteric lymph node and intraabdominal mass of unknown origin [ 7 , 10 , 13 , 14 ]. Disseminated HS (DHS), a subcategory with lesions forming in multiple organs, also have been reported [ 7 , 13 ]. Case series indicated that HS in four-toed hedgehogs presented an aggressive biological behavior similar to the feature of DHS in dogs, suggesting guarded prognosis [ 7 ].…”

“…Disseminated HS (DHS), a subcategory with lesions forming in multiple organs, also have been reported [ 7 , 13 ]. Case series indicated that HS in four-toed hedgehogs presented an aggressive biological behavior similar to the feature of DHS in dogs, suggesting guarded prognosis [ 7 ]. Immunohistochemistry is warranted for definitive diagnosis of HS in four-toed hedgehogs due to a wide variety of cell morphologies [ 7 , 13 , 14 ].…”

“…Case series indicated that HS in four-toed hedgehogs presented an aggressive biological behavior similar to the feature of DHS in dogs, suggesting guarded prognosis [ 7 ]. Immunohistochemistry is warranted for definitive diagnosis of HS in four-toed hedgehogs due to a wide variety of cell morphologies [ 7 , 13 , 14 ]. To the best of our knowledge, no previous studies have described HS occurring primarily in the bone tissue in four-toed hedgehogs, and only the single case arising in the subcutis showed a metastatic lesion to the humerus [ 7 ].…”