From:
dr_bruce_williams
Date: 2002-03-28 21:32:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Jack's Histopathology report
Dear Ulrike:
The fat in the abdomen and chest looks like normal fat, except for
the volume of it. I don't see it as a tumor, because it is
generalized throughout the whole body.
While it is always best to see the slides, I am a bit suspicious of
the pancreatic neoplasm - insulinomas generally do not metastasize in
ferrets, and the descrition of pleomorphism does not fit with a
garden variety insulinoma. I am wordering if this is a different
type of tumor. It would help to know what his blood glucose was...
I noted that the adrenals were not sampled - ferrets wiht adrenal
disease may put down a lot of fat in their bodies.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams DVM
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., "Ulrike Stanley" <ferretlove@n...>
wrote:
> I was hoping that the report would explain why Jack had such an
abnormal
> build-up of fat in his body and chest but it doesn't. I was
wondering
> whether it was fat tumours. >
>
>
> Histopathology report
>
> History
>
> Difficulty breathing, very enlarged abdomen (6-10 months). Sudden
> deterioration over last 24 hours. Euthanased. PM Fat, large
amounts in
> abdomen & chest especially around kidneys, also mesentery,
bladder/uterus.
>
> Diagnosis
>
> Pancreatic Endocrine Tumour "Insulinoma" and Interstitial
Pneumonia
>
> Prognosis
>
> Prognosis Not Given
>
> Commentary
>
> Spleen: There is marked splenic congestion and some haemorrhage. No
> evidence of neoplasia.
> Pancreas: There is a large well vascularised mass comprising cords
and
> packets of pleomophic polygonal cells with marked nuclear atypia and
> variable fine cytoplasmic vacuolation.
> Adipose tissue adjacent to pancreas and within mesentery: This
contains
> small accessory spleens and several small to large nodules (up to
1.5cm) of
> neoplasia as described in the pancreas.
> Heart: Normal.
> Lungs: Congested and collapsed with accumulation of mixed
inflammatory cells
> within the interstitium.
> Kidneys: Largely within normal and expected to have been functioning
> antemortem.
>
> COMMENTS:
> The changes are consistent with a malignant tumour arising from
islet cells
> (insulinoma) with metastatic spread and an intersitial pneumonia.
The cause
> of the latter is not apparent from the histological features.
>
>
>
>
> Jack's autopsy photos:
>
> www.ferretlove.co.uk/jackpm.htm
>
>
>
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