Disease in captive wild mammals and birds : $b incidence, description, comparisonFox, Herbert
Science
Disease in captive wild mammals and birds : $b incidence, description, comparison
Fox, Herbert
Veterinary medicine
Marsupialia present three quite interesting cases, a Tasmanian Devil
(_Sarcophilus ursinus_) and two Kangaroos (_Macropus_). The first showed
distinct sacculations in the ascending aorta, suggestive of Mönckeberg’s
sclerosis but equally resembling several small or incomplete aneurysms.
The underlying vessel was opaque and stiff, continuing so to the middle
of the thoracic portion. The other marsupials showed distinct mesial
damage with early calcification and a roughened intima; once the
pulmonary artery was involved.
It will be noticed that the orders Rodentia and Lemures are missing from
those showing arterial disease although we have a reasonable number of
autopsies upon them.
Passeres are hardly good exponents of vascular disease, an interesting
thing in view of their large heart, heavy vessels, and flying habits. It
is, however, striking that two of the three birds of this group had
aneurysms of the aorta, one of which ruptured just above the origin,
partly into and partly outside the pericardium. Despite several
microscopical sections we were unable to find the tiny ends of the
breach and any evidence of parasites. In the other case a vegetative
growth occurred on the intima near the dilatation.
[Illustration:
FIG. 4.—ARTERIOSCLEROSIS IN AORTA. OTTER (LUTRA CANADENSIS). THERE IS
RELATIVELY LITTLE INTIMAL CHANGE, THE MEDIA BEING FIBROTIC AND
ALLOWING THE INTIMA TO BE DEPRESSED IN SMALL CONCAVITIES.
]
The Picariæ were represented by a Hornbill and a Toucan. The former
presented roughened yellowish elevations for two centimetres above the
aortic valve; this seemed the only involvement. The Toucan had a few
small scattered but deep yellow plaques in the same location.
Psittaci, although failing to be accredited with a high percentage of
arterial disease, nevertheless present some striking and interesting
changes. In the first place, the central vessels are not so
conspicuously the principal seat of atheroma as is the case in many
other orders, and the lesions are not so productive. It is usual to find
flat areas of opacity, perceptible as easily by section through the wall
as by holding up the opened vessel to the light, the seat of the density
being in the media. This can be followed into the wing arteries and,
upon microscopic section, these smaller vessels will show mesial
degeneration, thus being comparable to arteriocapillary fibrosis of man.
However frequent this picture may be, there are also instances of
overgrowth in the intima, prominences over opacities or raised plaques
at the points of branching, lesions which correspond to the activity of
the inner coat. It is interesting that renal disease, chronic pulmonary
and general infections occur in a goodly proportion of these birds.
Striges is an order of little importance. The lesions in the two cases
consisted of rather prominent plaques in aorta and large branches.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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