T cell lymphoma in the lumbar spine of a domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo).
A 22-month-old castrated male ferret developed acute pelvic limb paresis. Radiographs and computed tomography revealed a soft tissue mass with associated bony lysis of L5, and ultrasound-guided fine needle aspirates suggested that it was a lymphoma. Treatment with prednisone at immunosuppressive doses did not produce any detectable improvement in the ferret's clinical signs and it became moribund less than two weeks after they developed. A postmortem biopsy confirmed the presence of a lymphoma which had invaded the vertebral bone. No viruses were detected by cell culture, or electron microscopy.
Hanley
C S
CS
Department of Small Animal Medicine, University of Georgia, College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, GA 30602-7390, USA.
Wilson
G H
GH
Frank
P
P
James
D K A
DK
Carmichael
K P
KP
Pesti
D
D
Ritchie
B
B
D000818:Animals; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis / Q000662:veterinary; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005289:Ferrets; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D016399:Lymphoma, T-Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000662:veterinary*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000662:veterinary; D014463:Ultrasonography