title: Retroperitoneal teratoma in a skunk (Mephitis mephitis).
abstract: A 4-yr-old striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) developed an 11- x 7- x 7-cm retroperitoneal mass caudal to the left kidney. The mass was surgically excised and, on the basis of histology and immunohistochemistry, diagnosed as a benign teratoma. Six months later, a second histologically similar neoplasm was excised from the same location and was considered to represent local tumor recurrence. The skunk died 16 mo later without recurrence. Complete excision of the tumor appeared curative in this case and supported the benign diagnosis. An extragonadal teratoma should be considered as a differential diagnosis for an abdominal mass in a skunk.
authors.affiliation: Athens Diagnostic Laboratory and Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Georgia 30602, USA.
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Munday
authors.forename: Steve E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Fairchild
authors.forename: Cathy A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D012889:Mephitidae; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D012186:Retroperitoneal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D013724:Teratoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*