A case of racemiform trichoblastoma in a dog.

Trichoblastoma, which is common in dogs, is now occurring with other cellular changes outside the recognized forms to warrant their continuous evaluation for proper elucidation even as their causes largely remain unknown. A case at hand involved a 9-year-old Caucasian dog, which weighed 35 kg with chief complaint of a progressive bleeding mass on the scalp. The dog had an up-to-date vaccination record and all vital parameters were within optimum ranges. The surgical excision of the firm, solitary, and alopecic mass with traumatized upper surface revealed the presence of a well-demarcated and unencapsulated mass composed of grapes-like nests of basaloid epithelial cells within follicular stroma devoid of stromal necrosis, inflammatory cellular infiltration, and neoplastic epidermal connection. However, there was tissue necrosis, hemorrhages, and inflammatory cellular infiltrates on the exposed upper part of the traumatized growth. Immunohistochemical analysis showed positive reactivity to AE1/AE3, CK5/6, and p63 but negative immunoreactivity to CK7, CK20, CEA, and TTF-1. The histomorphological and immunohistochemical evaluation of the mass on the scalp of the dog suggested a solitary racemiform trichoblastoma with a traumatized exposed upper part despite basal cell carcinoma mimicry where histological diagnosis currently hold sway over immunohistochemical evaluation.

Histopathological and health risk assessment of heavy metals in the straw-colored fruit bat, Eidolon helvum, in Nigeria.

There is heightening concern regarding heavy metals environmental pollution requiring renewed global attention because of their bioaccumulation and toxicity at varying levels. The concern is most important in the highly migratory Eidolon helvum (E. helvum) that is very common and traverses wide geographical areas within the sub-Saharan Africa. The present study aimed to evaluate levels of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) bioaccumulation in 24 E. helvum of both sexes from Nigeria to assess their indirect health risks to the human consumers of the bats in addition to their direct bioaccumulation and toxic damages in the bats themselves based on standard procedures. Lead, Zn, and Cd bioaccumulation concentrations were 2.83 ± 0.35, 0.42 ± 0.03, and 0.05 ± 0.01 mg/kg, respectively, with significant (p < 0.05) Pb bioaccumulation compared to either Cd or Zn in the affected bats. However, only Pb (markedly) and Cd (marginally) bioaccumulated above small mammals' critical threshold levels as there are no existing established threshold levels for bats. Sex played no major role in their bioaccumulation levels. The bioaccumulation levels posed no life-long non-carcinogenic nor carcinogenic risks to the human consumers of the bats at detected concentrations. The observed lungs, liver, and kidney histopathological changes suggested the possible direct effects of the metals in the bats. Nevertheless, other anthropogenic factors might be responsible as no significant (p > 0.05) correlation existed between cellular changes and the bioaccumulation levels. The presence of the heavy metals and their bioaccumulations above critical threshold levels suggested some levels of environmental contamination and pollution, which might have direct and indirect health implications to the bats and their human consumers.

A case of chronic schistosomiasis in a Dongola stallion (Equus ferus caballus Linnaeus, 1758) from Nigeria.

Schistosomiasis is a worldwide snail-borne parasitic infestation of man and animals with acute or chronic phases having devastating sequelae. The present case report focused on post-mortem examination of a cachexic Dongola stallion (Equus ferus caballus Linnaeus, 1758) in Abuja, Nigeria, that failed to respond to treatment. Typical dense collagenous granulomatous lesions with marked inflammatory responses and fibrosis occurred in the liver and several visceral organs of the horse along with other lesions indicative of systemic collapse. Special Ziehl-Neelsen and Periodic Acid-Schiff staining as well as microbial culture returned negative results to rule out acid-fast bacilli, fungal, and other bacterial involvement. In addition, the presence of a yellowish-brown eggshell within fibrosing granulomatous lesions led to the diagnosis of chronic schistosomiasis. Prolonged malnutrition under harsh and changing increment weather conditions with lack of medical care following the infection might have predisposed the horse to the recorded systemic collapse in the present case. The dearth of information on the ante-mortem evaluation of acute equine schistosomiasis cases notwithstanding, the observed lesions/cellular changes reinforced  associated multi-organ damages and systemic collapse in chronic cases. Our findings highlighted the pathological presentations and prognosis of chronic schistosomiasis and its triggers, especially in endemic areas, and in horses that often do not present obvious clinical manifestations.