title: Spinal deformity in a sandtiger shark, Carcharias taurus Rafinesque: a clinical-pathological study.
abstract: The present study investigated spinal deformity in a captive sandtiger shark and describes the clinical and histopathological features of the lesion. Clinically, the shark presented a marked spinal curvature in the region between the pectoral girdle and cranial dorsal fin. Radiographic studies revealed scoliosis and kyphosis of the vertebral column with a modification of the basic structure of five vertebrae. Post-mortem examination confirmed the results of radiographic studies and histological examination showed remodelling and cartilaginous proliferation of the vertebral bodies together with necrosis, haemorrhage and signs of a local chronic inflammatory response extending to the surrounding muscle. Different aetiologies are proposed and discussed but nutritional imbalance (dietary vitamin deficiency) and/or traumatic injury are considered the most likely contributing factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Public Health and Animal Pathology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. preziosi@vet.unibo.it
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Preziosi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gridelli
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Borghetti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Diana
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parmeggiani
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Fioravanti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marcer
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Berzins
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002356:Cartilage / Q000473:pathology; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices / Q000662:veterinary; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D010179:Pancreas / Q000382:microbiology; D010776:Photobacterium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012754:Sharks / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000382:microbiology; D013121:Spinal Curvatures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013131:Spine / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D014815:Vitamins / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014815:Vitamins