From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2008-02-27 22:43:13 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] RE: Cholangiocarcinoma
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
I am sorry to hear of that result.
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG8679
reads:
BEGIN QUOTE
Let's not jump on cancer of the bile ducts until the report comes
back. While biliary tumors (cholangiocarcinoma and cholangiomas -
malignant and benign respectively) do exist in ferrets, they are
extremely rare. AS a matter of fact, tonight, I am proofing a paper
on liver tumors in ferrets for presentation at the American College
of Vet Pathologist's meeting next month.
Biliary tract neoplasms are exceedingly rare in ferrets - I have 5 in
my collection of 3000 cases - you do the math. In this archive, 1.8%
of cases were neoplasms involving the liver - which is pretty low.
Of these, lymphoma was most common, and metastatic adrenal carcinoma
came in second.
Tumors of the liver rarely show premonitory signs, such as liver
failure. If noticed antemortem, they generally present as a large
mass. Only three primary liver tumors - tumors of either the
hepatocytes (liver cells) or biliary tree- out of 18 in the study
showed evidence of liver failure prior to necropsy. So most are
silent - don't feel as if you missed some big tip-off - there usually
isn't one.
On gross inspection, many tumors look alike, so this is one best left
to the pathologist's microscope. Any chance we took pictures of the
necropsy?
Regarding the ulcers - this might have been the precipitating factor
for your ferret's rapid demise. Ferrets with any systemic illness
may develop ulcers as a result of stress, so the development in this
case is probably to be expected.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM
END QUOTE
also possibly of use:
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG17351
and an abstract of a very unusual situaton:
BEGIN QUOTE
Vet Pathol. 2002 Mar;39(2):173-9.
Hepatobiliary inflammation, neoplasia, and argyrophilic bacteria in a=20
ferret colony.
Garc=EDa A, Erdman SE, Xu S, Feng Y, Rogers AB, Schrenzel MD, Murphy JC, =
Fox JG.
Division of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of=20
Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. agarcia@mit.edu
Hepatobiliary disease was diagnosed in eight of 34 genetically=20
unrelated cohabitating pet ferrets (Mustela putorios furo) during a 7-
year period. The eight ferrets ranged in age from 5 to 8 years and=20
exhibited chronic cholangiohepatitis coupled with cellular=20
proliferation ranging from hyperplasia to frank neoplasia. Spiral-
shaped argyrophilic bacteria were demonstrated in livers of three=20
ferrets, including two with carcinoma. Sequence analysis of a 400-base=20
pair polymerase chain reaction product amplified from DNA derived from=20
fecal bacteria from one ferret demonstrated 98% and 97% similarity to=20
Helicobacter cholecystus and Helicobacter sp. strain 266-1 ,=20
respectively. The clustering of severe hepatic disease in these=20
cohabitating ferroes suggests a possible infectious etiology. The role=20
of Helicobacter species and other bacteria in hepatitis and/or=20
neoplasia in ferrets requires further study.
PMID: 12009055 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
END QUOTE
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
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