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Case Reports
. 2021 Nov;35(6):2937-2942.
doi: 10.1111/jvim.16285. Epub 2021 Oct 9.

Bilateral thyroid adenomas in an alpaca

Kate Burbery  1 , Olivier Simon  1 , Lucy Woolford  1 , Gustavo Ferlini Agne  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Bilateral thyroid adenomas in an alpaca

Kate Burbery et al. J Vet Intern Med. 2021 Nov.

Abstract

A 7-year-old neutered male alpaca (Vicugna pacos) was presented for evaluation of a 3-year history of large, bilateral, firm ventral cervical masses causing esophageal and tracheal impingement. Ultrasound examination, radiographic evaluation, histopathological findings, and magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the masses to be bilateral thyroid adenomas. Conservative medical treatment by unilateral chemical ablation, using 10% formalin by aspiration technique, was performed on the left mass. Chemical ablation proved to be effective in decreasing the size of the mass, with no apparent adverse effects. To our knowledge, this case is the first known report of bilateral thyroid adenomas in an alpaca, a condition previously described in humans, horses, dogs, and cats.

Keywords: MRI; ablation; camelid; formalin.

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Conflict of interest statement

Authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Histopathology image of a left thyroid mass in an alpaca (hematoxylin and eosin, 2× magnification). Tissue is comprised of variably‐sized small to moderate‐sized follicles filled with eosinophilic translucent material (protein, colloid) or collapsed and empty. Follicles are lined by cuboidal to flattened nonciliated epithelium, supported by a fine fibrovascular stroma. Frequent regions of hemorrhage and fibrin exudation are present, and the tissue extends to all margins of the section
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Dorsal (A) and parasagittal (B, C) T1‐weighted postcontrast MRI images of the cervical region of an alpaca. Both masses have well‐defined margins and good separation from adjacent tissues. The left mass (arrow) has 2 different components; the cranial portion is heterogeneous with mixed iso‐ and hypointense signal intensity and moderate contrast enhancement. Caudally, multiple lobulations with T1‐hypointense content can be seen. The right mass (arrowhead) is smaller and has multiple lobulations seen with T1‐hyperintense content and focal areas of hypointensity
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Ventral view of bilateral thyroid masses in an alpaca pre‐ and postchemical ablation. The left‐sided mass (arrow) showed a decrease in size with treatment, as depicted in the pretreatment (A) image compared to 7 months posttreatment (B)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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