Ameloblastic fibroma in an alpine chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra).

Spontaneous odontogenic tumors are neoplasms characterized by a mixed odontogenic ectomesenchymal and odontogenic epithelial origin; they are rare in both humans and animals. A 3-year-old male Alpine Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) was found dead in north-west Italy, and was referred for the necropsy to the Department of Veterinary Sciences of the University of Turin (Italy). At the external examination a 10 × 8 cm, exophytic, red-pink, smooth, firm and ulcerated mass was observed on the inferior lip. Histologically the tumor was characterized by spindle shaped cells arranged in bundles in an abundant hyaline matrix. Multifocal and rare chords of odontogenic epithelium mixed with rare melanocytes that penetrate the neoplasia were visible. Immunohistochemistry showed a clear cytokeratin positivity of epithelial clusters. Macroscopical, histological and immunohistochemical findings were consistent with a diagnosis of locally infiltrative ameloblastic fibroma. To our best knowledge, this is the first report of this tumor in a wild ungulate and in Alpine Chamois.

Canine leishmaniosis: in vitro efficacy of miltefosine and marbofloxacin alone or in combination with allopurinol against clinical strains of Leishmania infantum.

Despite the availability of different therapeutic options, canine visceral leishmaniosis (CVL) remains a challenging disease to treat. Recently miltefosine has been registered for use in dogs, and different studies have demonstrated its leishmanicidal effect. Moreover, it has been suggested that fluoroquinolones, compared to standard chemotherapeutic agents, could be an effective and pragmatic alternative to treat CVL. The efficacy of miltefosine and marbofloxacin alone or in combination with allopurinol against clinical strains of Leishmania infantum was assessed in vitro by incubating increasing concentrations of the drugs with a standard parasite inoculum. Miltefosine was significantly more efficacious than marbofloxacin (P < 0.05) against the two strains of L. infantum either alone or in combination with allopurinol. Both drugs were significantly (P < 0.05) more efficacious when associated with allopurinol than alone.

Diffuse multicentric large B-cell lymphoma invading the central nervous system in a European wild boar (Sus scrofa).

We describe a diffuse, multicentric, large B-cell lymphoma in a wild boar (Sus scrofa) involving the abdomen, head, and nose and invading the frontal leptomeninges. The tumor was predominantly composed of dense, basophilic, round-to-polygonal cells. Immunohistochemistry for CD79 and Ki-67 was positive in all masses.

Seronegative visceral leishmaniasis with relapsing and fatal course following rituximab treatment.

Both the presentation and clinical course of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) may be atypical in immunosuppressed subjects, often resulting in delayed diagnosis and treatment. We describe a case of VL characterized by negative serologic testing, a relapsing course, and a fatal outcome 2 years after the patient had been successfully treated for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with rituximab. Diagnosis of VL may be further delayed or even missed in patients treated with drugs that interfere with specific antibody production unless specific diagnostic methods, such as bone marrow examination and parasite DNA amplification/detection, are routinely employed.

Astrocytoma in a chamois.

Astrocytomas represent the most common cerebral tumors in humans and in animals, and the fibrillary cytological subtype is the most frequently observed. In this report and for the first time, a thalamic astrocytoma is described in a chamois showing depressed mentation, pleurothotonus and circling to the right side.

Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in lymph nodes of wild boar (Sus scrofa) by a target-amplified test system.

A detailed macroscopic and histological description is given of tuberculous-like lesions in mandibular lymph nodes obtained from wild boar (Sus scrofa) collected in Italy during the 1995/1996 hunting season, as well as a correlation with results obtained from a Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex target amplified test system. According to macroscopic appearance, lesions were largely represented by caseous-necrotic-calcified granulomata (n = 272/285; 95.4%), while histological investigations showed mainly necrotic-calcified (n = 82/218; 37.6%) and fibronecrotic-calcified (n = 81/218; 37.2%) lesions. When tested with a target rRNA amplification/hybridization technique to detect M. tuberculosis complex, 112 (43.6%) samples out of 275 tested gave positive results.

Lung-tissue extract as an alternative to serum for surveillance for brucellosis in chamois.

Serological surveys are the most-used way to study diseases in free-ranging wild animals. However, the difficulty in obtaining a sufficient number of suitable serum samples is a major problem. To resolve this problem, we investigated the possibility of using lung-tissue extract in place of blood serum for searching for antibodies against Brucella abortus. Antibodies titres against B. abortus was tested from blood serum and lung-tissue extract from 112 chamois and 99 cattle. Although in complement-fixation-test, lung-tissue extract titres usually were one-to three-fold lower than serum titres, there was a good agreement between serum and lung-tissue extract positivity both in chamois and in cattle. The lung-tissue extract appears a suitable resource in monitoring brucellosis in chamois.