Infantile hemangioma in a subadult Chinese pangolin: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Hemangiomas are a relatively common type of tumor in humans and animals. Various subtypes of hemangiomas have been described in the literature. The classification methods for hemangiomas differ between human and veterinary medicine, and the basis for tumor classification can be found in the literature. CASE PRESENTATION: This study describes a tumor in the subcutaneous tissue of the right dorsum of an artificially rescued juvenile Chinese pangolin. Computed tomography (CT) examination yielded the preliminary diagnosis of a vascular malformation, and surgery was performed to resect the tumor. Histopathological examination showed that the tumor mainly was consisted of adipose tissue, capillaries, and spindle cells in the fibrous stroma. Immunohistochemistry showed the positive expression of CD31, CD34, α-SMA, GLUT1 and WT-1 in the tumor tissue, and the tumor was eventually diagnosed as an infantile haemangioma. CONCLUSION: The final diagnosis of infantile hemangioma was depended on the histopathological immunohistochemical and CT examination of the neoplastic tissue. This is the first report of infantile hemangioma in a critically endangered species Chinese pangolin.

Comparison of Venous Blood Gas and Biochemical Parameters in Sunda Pangolin (Manis javanica) and Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) before and after Isoflurane Anesthesia.

Venous blood gas analytes are commonly examined in animals, and the results may be important when evaluating the overall health status of an animal. Pangolins are critically endangered mammals, and there is limited information on their physiological reference values in the literature. The aim of this study was to analyze venous blood gas and biochemical parameters before and during isoflurane anesthesia in wild healthy Sunda and Chinese pangolins. The results obtained showed that the blood gas index trends of the two pangolin species before and after isoflurane anesthesia were the same. After anesthesia, the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2), partial pressure of oxygen (pO2), total carbon dioxide (CO2), mean blood bicarbonate (HCO3-), extracellular fluid compartment (BEecf) base excess and the mean blood glucose (Glu) levels of both pangolin species showed a significant increase compared to the pre-anesthesia period. In contrast, the mean blood potassium (K+), lactate (Lac) and mean blood pH levels were significantly lower. No significant differences in the mean blood sodium (Na+) or blood ionized calcium (iCa) levels were observed during anesthesia. This study is important for future comparisons and understanding the health status of this endangered species.