特発性肺線維症が疑われたコアラの1例

Abstract

An adult female koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) showed respirator y symptoms over an-month period, and died at a zoo in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. At necropsy, the lungs were edematous and grayish-white in color. The tracheal and bronchial lumens contained a large amount of foamy fluid. Histologically, the lungs had marked interstitial fibrosis, thickening of alveolar septa, destr uction of alveolar str ucture and infiltration of lymphocytes. The histologic appearance was heterogeneous and the fibrotic foci comprised mainly dense collagen fibers. In the areas of marked fibrosis, honeycomb lesion, hyperplasia of type II pneumocytes and proliferation of myofibroblasts were detected. There were no lesions indicating infection in the lungs. In bacteriological examinations, no pathogenic bacterium was isolated from the major organs. These findings mimic those of idiopathic pulmonar y fibrosis (IPF) in humans and cats.