Combined excision and intralesional bevacizumab for sebaceous carcinoma of the eyelid in an Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica).

An 18-year-old zoo-kept female Amur tiger presented with an approximately 5 mm diameter lateral canthal eyelid mass in the left eye which grossly appeared red and irregular. The mass was completely excised via lateral canthoplasty. Histopathologic evaluation was consistent with a diagnosis of sebaceous cell carcinoma, which is a potentially aggressive cutaneous neoplasm. The sebaceous carcinoma recurred within 3 months and slowly increased in size until a second surgical excision was performed 9 months following the first surgery. The second surgical excision was combined with intralesional injection of 10 mg of the antiangiogenic drug bevacizumab. Histology confirmed the diagnosis. The tiger was euthanized 16 months postoperatively for reasons unrelated to, and without recurrence of, the eyelid neoplasm. At postmortem, no gross periocular or metastatic lesions were noted, and histopathology of the lateral canthus provided no evidence of recurrence. Surgical excision combined with intralesional bevacizumab treatment induced life-long resolution of the sebaceous carcinoma. Bevacizumab treatment may be associated with the regression of periocular angiogenic proliferative conditions, including neoplasia, by inhibiting angiogenesis.

Pathological manifestations of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection in wild African lions.

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) causes AIDS in the domestic cat (Felis catus) but has not been explicitly associated with AIDS pathology in any of the eight free-ranging species of Felidae that are endemic with circulating FIV strains. African lion (Panthera leo) populations are infected with lion-specific FIV strains (FIVple), yet there remains uncertainty about the degree to which FIV infection impacts their health. Reported CD4+ T-lymphocyte depletion in FIVple-infected lions and anecdotal reports of lion morbidity associated with FIV seroprevalence emphasize the concern as to whether FIVple is innocuous or pathogenic. Here we monitored clinical, biochemical, histological and serological parameters among FIVple-positive (N=47) as compared to FIVple-negative (N=17) lions anesthetized and sampled on multiple occasions between 1999 and 2006 in Botswana. Relative to uninfected lions, FIVple-infected lions displayed a significant elevation in the prevalence of AIDS-defining conditions: lymphadenopathy, gingivitis, tongue papillomas, dehydration, and poor coat condition, as well as displaying abnormal red blood cell parameters, depressed serum albumin, and elevated liver enzymes and gamma globulin. Spleen and lymph node biopsies from free-ranging FIVple-infected lions (N=9) revealed evidence of lymphoid depletion, the hallmark pathology documented in immunodeficiency virus infections of humans (HIV-1), macaques, and domestic cats. We conclude that over time FIVple infections in free-ranging lions can lead to adverse clinical, immunological, and pathological outcomes in some individuals that parallel sequelae caused by lentivirus infection in humans (HIV), Asian macaques (SIV) and domestic cats (FIVfca).

Use of a pool-raft system for recovery of horses from general anesthesia: 393 horses (1984-2000).

OBJECTIVE: To describe the pool-raft recovery system protocol and to evaluate the clinical outcome in horses that underwent recovery from general anesthesia using this system. DESIGN: Retrospective study. ANIMALS: 393 horses that underwent recovery from general anesthesia in the pool-raft system. PROCEDURE: Anesthetic records were examined from horses recovered from anesthesia in the pool-raft system between January 1984 and December 2000. Complete medical records of horses were examined when available. Information regarding the anesthetic and recovery period was recorded. Horses first recovered from general anesthesia in the pool-raft and, once awake, were transported to a recovery stall and lowered to the floor in a standing position. RESULTS: 351 horses underwent 1 pool-raft recovery, and 42 horses underwent multiple pool-raft recoveries. Most horses were recovered from general anesthesia within the pool-raft system to safeguard repair of a major orthopedic injury. During 471 pool-raft recoveries, 34 (7%) horses had complications within the recovery pool and 62 (13%) had complications within the recovery stall. Deaths resulted from complete failure of internal fixation, pulmonary dysfunction, or a combination of pulmonary dysfunction and fixation failure in 2% (10/471) of horses that underwent pool-raft recoveries. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The pool-raft system is a good option for recovery from general anesthesia. Although not a fail-safe system, it appears to decrease the complications of recovering horses in a high-risk category. Potential disadvantages of this system are added expense and manpower necessary in building, maintenance, and usage, as well as size limitations of the raft itself.