title: Malignant pleural mesothelioma in a female lion (Panthera leo).
abstract: An 18-year-old female lion (Panthera leo) was referred to the Department of Animal Pathology of the University of Turin (Italy). At necropsy, multiple nodular, 4-20-mm, confluent white firm nodules were scattered throughout the pleural surfaces of the thoracic wall and of the lungs. Histological lesions were represented by proliferations of papillary structures lined by cuboidal basophilic mesothelial cells with large, oval nuclei and abundant granular eosinophilic cytoplasm. Immunohistochemistry revealed immunoreactivity for pancytokeratin and vimentin. None of the cells expressed calretinin antigen. Asbestos fibers and asbestos bodies were not detected respectively by light microscopy and by Scanning Electron Microscope-Energy Dispersive Spectrometer investigations. On the contrary, chrysotile asbestos were identified in samples from shelter material. Histological and immunohistochemical findings were consistent with the diagnosis of an epithelial malignant mesothelioma. To our best knowledge, this is the first report of a pleural mesothelioma in a lion.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Patologia Animale, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via L. da Vinci 44, 10095 Grugliasco (TO), Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bollo
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Patologia Animale, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via L. da Vinci 44, 10095 Grugliasco (TO), Italy. Electronic address: frineeleonora.scaglione@unito.it.
authors.forename: F E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Scaglione
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Patologia Animale, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via L. da Vinci 44, 10095 Grugliasco (TO), Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tursi
authors.affiliation: Biologist, Safaripark Pombia, SS 32 Km 23,4, 28050 Pombia (NO), Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schröder
authors.affiliation: Via Selvigia 39, 28040 Varallo Pombia (NO), Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Degiorgi
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Mineralogiche e Petrologiche, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via Valperga Caluso 35, 10126 Torino, Italy; Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse, CNR-Unità di Torino, Via Valperga Caluso 35, 10125 Torino, Italy; Centro Interdipartimentale per lo Studio degli Amianti e di altri Particolati Nocivi "Giovanni Scansetti", Università degli Studi di Torino, Via P. Giuria 7, 10125 Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Belluso
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Mineralogiche e Petrologiche, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via Valperga Caluso 35, 10126 Torino, Italy; Centro Interdipartimentale per lo Studio degli Amianti e di altri Particolati Nocivi "Giovanni Scansetti", Università degli Studi di Torino, Via P. Giuria 7, 10125 Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Capella
authors.affiliation: Azienda Sanitaria ASL 4, Servizio di Anatomia ed Istologia Patologica, Ospedale Emergenza Torino Nord San Giovanno Bosco, Piazza del Donatore di Sangue 3, 10154 Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bellis
mesh_terms: D000820:Animal Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo; D005260:Female; D008045:Lions; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*