Spontaneous lymphoid neoplasia in the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus)

Abstract

Thirteen cases of lymphoid neoplasia were examined in koalas from New South Wales and Queensland. Haematological and biochemical data were collected from 2 cases while all were subjected to detailed necropsies. Affected koalas were adults of both sexes and the disease had a variable time course. The 2 koalas examined haematologically were leukaemic. On a morphological basis, 5 cases were classified as multicentric, 7 cases as abdominal (but not necessarily with alimentary tract involvement) and one case as solitary. In most cases, the neoplastic cells appeared to be either lymphoblasts or prolymphocytes.