Estrogen and progesterone receptors immunolabeling in mammary solid carcinoma in an African Hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris) with concurrent uterine fibrosarcoma

Abstract

Fernandes, et al.; Estrogen and progesterone receptors immunolabeling in mammary solid carcinoma in an African Hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris) with concurrent uterine fibrosarcoma. Braz J Vet Pathol, 2017, 10(1), 38 -42. DOI: 10.24070/bjvp.1983 Brazilian AbstractThe African Hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris) has gained popularity as a pet in several parts of the world. This is a report of a concomitant finding of spontaneous mammary and uterine tumors in an adult female African Hedgehog. The animal presented abdominal masses and died suddenly. Upon necropsy, not only the mammary tumor mass, but also a uterine neoplasm was found. Formalin fixed and paraffin embedded tissues were submitted for histopathological examination. The mammary tumor was diagnosed as a solid carcinoma, and the uterine tumor as fibrosarcoma. By immunohistochemistry, the mammary tumor showed positivity for pancytokeratins and estrogen and progesterone receptors, while the uterine neoplasm exhibited positivity for vimentin. There was high cross-immunoreactivity between anti-human antibodies. The positivity for hormonal receptors antigens may represent a relationship between estrogen and progesterone levels and the development of mammary tumors, as in other mammals.

A retrospective study of disease incidence in African pygmy hedgehogs (<i>Atelerix albiventris</i>)

“…Uterine polyps cause hematuria and vaginal bleeding, and were sometimes found as necrotic tissues protruding from the vulva. No unified diagnosis was possible because these lesions were diagnosed in previous reports using variable terms, such as endometrial polyp, adenoleiomyosarcoma, adenosarcoma, endometrial stromal cell sarcoma, adenoleiomyoma, uterine adenocarcinoma, carcinosarcoma, uterine fibrosarcoma, and uterine spindle cell tumor [ 4 , 5 , 8 , 11 , 16 , 19 ]. Previous studies had indicated that the prefix “adeno” with the name of a mesenchymal neoplasm indicates the presence of a non-neoplastic epithelial component within a mesenchymal neoplasm [ 11 ].…”

“…Approximately half of the tissues in the oral mucosa were diagnosed as having non-neoplastic lesions. Tooth root abscesses have been reported [ 4 ] and these lesions are thought to be formed by tartar or bacterial infection.…”