BILATERAL PRIMARY OVARIAN LEIOMYOMA IN A LION (Panthera leo): A CASE REPORT

PAYAN-CARREIRA R.¹, ALVURA N.², GRAÇA J.³, PIRES M.A.^4
1Animal and Veterinary Research Center, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
²Zoo da Maia; 4470 Maia, Portugal.
³ecovm - Ecografia Veterinária Móvel; 4480-836 Vila do Conde, Portugal.
⁴Animal and Veterinary Research Center, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal.

Received : 09-11-2013     Accepted : 09-12-2013     Published : 26-12-2013
Volume : 2     Issue : 1       Pages : 24 - 29
J Pathol Res 2.1 (2013):24-29
DOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.9735/0976-8068.2.1.24-29

Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : None declared
Author Contribution : None declared

Ovarian leiomyomas are very uncommon in carnivores, as smooth muscle tumors in these animals most frequently develop from the tubular genitalia. A rare case of bilateral, ovarian leiomyoma in a 13-year-old female lion (Panthera leo) is reported here. Although she was kept in the Zoo with another female and with a male, she was never diagnosed pregnant, in contrast to her cohort that conceived twice in the same period. The female was in good physical condition, and due to the need of anaesthesia to moving her to a different park, a decision on performing routine ultrasonographic evaluation of the genital organs was made. On transabdominal ultrasonography a bilateral altered echogenicity of the ovaries was observed. A compact mass with homogeneous isoechogenicity was detected on both ovaries; also ultrasonographic signs of mild uterine hyperplasia were observed. Consequently, the decision for ovariohysterectomy was formed. Resected material was sent for analysis, which confirmed the cystic endometrial disease, co-existing with a bilateral primary ovarian leiomyoma. Morphological evaluation of enlarged ovaries showed the existence of bilateral smooth muscle tumor that has been further characterized by specific histochemical and immunohistochemical analysis. In this paper the morphological, ultrasonographic and pathological features of this rare condition in a zoo lioness are described.