Granulomatous meningoencephalitis and blindness associated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex infection in a senile female chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes)

Abstract

A 40‐year old female chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) developed hyporexia, weight loss, followed by progressive and complete blindness. Tomography demonstrated an intracranial mass in the rostroventral brain involving the optic chiasm, with a presumptive diagnosis of neoplasm. However, histopathology revealed a granulomatous meningoencephalitis, and tissue samples tested positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis.