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Case Reports
. 2018 Apr;31(2):147-150.
doi: 10.1293/tox.2017-0065. Epub 2018 Feb 18.

Testicular microlithiasis in a clinically healthy cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis)

Norimitsu Shirai  1 , Mark G Evans  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Testicular microlithiasis in a clinically healthy cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis)

Norimitsu Shirai et al. J Toxicol Pathol. 2018 Apr.

Abstract

The present article describes an occurrence of testicular microlithiasis in a cynomolgus monkey from a routine regulatory toxicology study. The monkey was from a negative control group. Microscopically, the lesion was characterized by multiple extracellular mineralized calculi within seminiferous tubular epithelia of both testes without any tissue reaction or abnormal condition such as cryptorchidism, testicular neoplasm, or hypogonadism. The present case is remarkable in that there is a paucity of reports on spontaneous testicular microlithiasis in nonhuman primates. It is hoped that this case report will help to facilitate the differentiation of spontaneous changes from induced changes in nonhuman primate toxicology studies that are designed to use limited numbers of animals.

Keywords: microlithiasis; monkey; testis.

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Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Testicular microlithiasis. Multiple extracellular, basophilic, non-birefringent, round-to-oval mineralized foci within lumens of seminiferous tubules distributed randomly across the parenchyma. H & E stain. Original magnification 40×.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Testicular microlithiasis. A microlith composed of concentric layers. H&E stain. Original magnification 400×.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Testicular microlithiasis. A microlith surrounded by an adjacent rim of seminiferous tubular epithelium. H&E stain. Original magnification 400×.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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