Acute Occlusion of the Abdominal Aorta with Sudden Paraplegia in a Captive Mustached Tamarin (Saguinus mystax)

Abstract

A wild-caught, research-naïve, adult male mustached tamarin (Saguinus mystax) experienced sudden onset of bilateral hindlimb paresis. Physical examination established the presence of paralysis and the lack of femoral pulses and deep pain in both legs. There were no signs of external trauma and, due to a poor prognosis, euthanasia was elected. Necropsy findings included pleural effusion, partial pulmonary atelectasis and congestion, dilatatory cardiomyopathy, a renal hemorrhagic infarct, and a thromboembolus located at the trifurcation of the distal abdominal aorta. The clinical and histologic findings were indicative of an aortic-iliac thrombosis.

Figure 1.

Saguinus mystax. Left kidney. Focally extensive, severe hemorrhagic infarct (HI) affecting the cortex. Hematoxylin and eosin stain; original magnification, 40×.

Figure 2.

Saguinus mystax. Left kidney. Multifocal, mild, interstitial lymphoplasmacytic infiltrates and diffuse, moderate, expanded mesangial matrix and tubular proteinuria. Small and medium-sized renal arteries show multifocal moderate proliferative arteriosclerosis. Extensive areas of coagulative necrosis with hemorrhage at the interface with viable tissue. Hematoxylin and eosin stain; original magnification, 100×.

Figure 3.

Saguinus mystax. Abdominal aorta and iliac arteries. A well-adhered thrombus (T) at the trifurcation of the distal abdominal aorta extends toward the iliac arteries. Hematoxylin and eosin stain; original magnification, 40×.

Figure 4.

Saguinus mystax. Abdominal aorta. Marked thrombosis characterized by focally extensive, severe, endothelial degeneration, subendothelial fibrin deposition and hemorrhage. Hematoxylin and eosin stain; original magnification, 200×. Insert shows a section of the thrombus stained with Mallory phosphotungstic acid–hematoxylin, demonstrating extensive fibrin deposition (purple strands). Original magnification, 400×.