Pathological Findings in African Pygmy Hedgehogs Admitted into a Portuguese Rehabilitation Center

Abstract

Most of the pathologies that affect hedgehogs are diagnosed postmortem; thus, it is essential to share knowledge between clinicians and pathologists in order to recognize predispositions to diseases and to establish adequate diagnostic and therapeutic plans. This study aimed to describe the most relevant postmortem pathological conditions in a group of six rescued African pygmy hedgehogs, performed over a period of four months. Hedgehogs were submitted to necropsy examinations and subsequent histopathological analyses. Microscopically, all the studied hedgehogs revealed alterations in one or more organ systems. Although a significant and diverse number of pathological conditions were obtained, this study focused on less common or more relevant pathologies found in African pygmy hedgehogs—namely, wobbly hedgehog syndrome, squamous cell carcinoma and mast cell tumors. Furthermore, this study constitutes the first report of Mycobacterium spp. in hedgehogs in Portugal, the second report of follicular thyroid carcinoma in an African pygmy hedgehog, the description of a lipoid pneumonia for the first time in this species and a lung adenocarcinoma—a pathology rarely reported in African pygmy hedgehogs.

Anatomopathological findings and identification of Cryptococcus gattii in a captive African pygmy hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris)

“…This commonly reported disease in postmortem examinations of hedgehogs may be related to a change in lipid metabolism caused by reduced food consumption in the days preceding the hedgehog's death. Another important pathological finding was biliary hyperplasia, which has been recently reported together with steatosis in African pigmy hedgehogs (28). We also found fat vacuoles in the tubular cells of the hedgehog kidneys.…”

“…In addition to cryptococcosis, the hedgehog showed other pathologies previously described in this species, such as hepatic steatosis (16,23,26,28). This commonly reported disease in postmortem examinations of hedgehogs may be related to a change in lipid metabolism caused by reduced food consumption in the days preceding the hedgehog's death.…”

High Levels of Heavy Metal(loid)s Related to Biliary Hyperplasia in Hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus)

“…Animals with biliary hyperplasia presented higher metal(loid) concentrations in the liver (except for As), and the difference was statistically significant for Cd and Co. Biliary hyperplasia induced by chronic or acute exposure to heavy metal(loid)s is not frequently described, but it has been reported in laboratory rats [ 33 , 35 , 36 ], laboratory rabbits [ 37 ], wild rabbits [ 31 ] and quails [ 38 ]. To the authors’ knowledge, specifically in hedgehogs, biliary hyperplasia was never associated with heavy metal(loid)s exposure, even though this lesion has been recently found in another pathological survey in Portugal as well [ 39 ]. Therefore, exposure to metal(loid)s could be the primary or a contributing reason for this hepatic lesion.…”

Lung adenocarcinoma and splenic histiocytic sarcoma in an African pygmy hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris)

“…Several studies on the incidence of diseases in these animals have been published, with neoplastic processes widely described (6,4,10,12,16). In the study conducted by Okada et al (2018), which evaluated the presence of diseases in African Hedgehogs between the years 2012 to 2017, neoplastic lesions were observed in 60% of cases, and 74.6% of tumors were classified as malignant.…”

“…According to the literature consulted, lymphoma is one of the most frequently diagnosed neoplasms among hematopoietic tumors in hedgehogs (5,16). Additionally, there have been an increasing number of reported cases of histiocytic sarcoma (10,11,17…”