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Case Reports
. 2019 Feb 9;81(2):177-181.
doi: 10.1292/jvms.18-0531. Epub 2018 Dec 7.

Pleomorphic adenoma of the mandibular salivary gland in a captive African pygmy hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris)

Du-Min Go  1 , Sang-Ho Woo  1 , Su-Hyung Lee  2 , Dae-Yong Kim  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Pleomorphic adenoma of the mandibular salivary gland in a captive African pygmy hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris)

Du-Min Go et al. J Vet Med Sci. .

Abstract

A 3.9-year-old female African pygmy hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris) had a firm, tan-colored mass with an uneven surface arising from the mandibular salivary gland. A histopathologic examination revealed that the mass was composed of neoplastic proliferation of epithelial and spindle cells. The neoplastic spindle cells showed positive for vimentin, smooth muscle actin, calponin and cytokeratin 14 and, negative for cytokeratin 19, suggesting that spindle cells were derived from myoepithelial cells. Based on the histological findings and immunohistochemistry results, the mass was diagnosed as pleomorphic adenoma. Pleomorphic adenoma is the most common benign tumor found in human salivary glands, but it is rare in animals. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of pleomorphic adenoma in hedgehogs.

Keywords: hedgehog; immunohistochemistry; pleomorphic adenoma; salivary gland.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Pleomorphic adenoma, mandibular salivary gland, African pygmy hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris). The mass was firm and tan-colored with an uneven surface.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Histology of pleomorphic adenoma in a African pygmy hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris). A. The tumor is composed of neoplastic proliferation of epithelial and spindle-shaped cells. H&E. Bar=400 µm. B. Neoplastic epithelial cells form ducts and spindle-shaped cells surround ducts showing irregular or streaming growth pattern. H&E. Bar=100 µm.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Alcian Blue stain of pleomorphic adenoma in a African pygmy hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris). A. Positive control (mammary gland adenoma; complex type). B. Alcian Blue positive stroma were rarely observed in the mass. Bar=100 µm/400 µm for high/low magnifications (applies to A and B).
Fig. 4.
Fig. 4.
Immunohistochemistry of pleomorphic adenoma in a African pygmy hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris). Spindle-shaped tumor cells and outer layer of the ducts (basal/myoepithelial cells) are positive for smooth muscle actin (A), calponin (B) and cytokeratin 14 (C). Spindle-shaped tumor cells are positive for vimentin (D). Immunoreactivity to cytokeratin 19 was negative in spindle-shaped tumor cells but positive in neoplastic epithelial cells (E). Bar=50 µm/100 µm for high/low magnifications (applies to A, B, C, D and E).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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