title: Nodular typhlitis associated with the nematodes Heterakis gallinarum and Heterakis isolonche in pheasants: frequency and pathology with evidence of neoplasia.
abstract: An investigation related to the frequency and pathology of Heterakis gallinarum and pathology of Heterakis isolonche in pheasants from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was conducted by means of clinical examinations, necropsies, and histopathological analysis in 50 ring-necked pheasants from backyard flocks of 11 localities; also, histological sections of caeca of golden pheasants deposited in the Helminthological Collection of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute (CHIOC) have been considered in the present study. During necropsies, only specimens of H. gallinarum were recovered with a prevalence of 90%, mean intensity of 81.9 and range of infection of 1-413. Gross lesions were characterized by congestion, thickening, petechial haemorrhages of the mucosa, intussusception, and nodules in the cecal wall. Under microscopy, chronic diffuse typhlitis, haemosiderosis, granulomas with necrotic center in the submucosa and leiomyomas in the submucosa, muscular and serosa associated with immature H. gallinarum worms were observed. The examination of histological sections previously deposited in the CHIOC, revealed more severe alterations associated with concomitant infections with H. gallinarum and H. isolonche in golden pheasants, and were characterized by several necrotic areas with cholesterol clefts in the submucosa, giant cell granulomas in the submucosa, and serosa centralized by necrosis and worm sections and neoplastic nodules in the muscular and submucosa.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Helmintos Parasitos de Vertebrados, Departamento de Helmintologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Av. Brasil 43561, 21045-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Rodrigo Caldas
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Menezes
authors.forename: Rogério
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tortelly
authors.forename: Delir Corrêa
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: Roberto Magalhães
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Pinto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D001717:Birds / Q000469:parasitology*; D001938:Brazil; D002429:Cecal Diseases / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002430:Cecal Neoplasms / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009349:Nematode Infections / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*