title: Unusual incidence of chronic pneumonia associated with cholesterol deposits in stranded and bycaught franciscanas Pontoporia blainvillei.
abstract: Franciscanas Pontoporia blainvillei are small dolphins endemic to Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina. During routine pathologic examinations, chronic pneumonia associated with cholesterol deposits was found in 16.7% of stranded and incidentally bycaught franciscanas (n = 60), and was more frequent in dolphins from the Brazilian state of São Paulo (Franciscana Management Area II) and frequently accompanied by splenic lymphoid hyperplasia. It is unclear why these otherwise uncommon lesions were relatively frequent in the studied dolphins, and further research is advised.
authors.affiliation: Emergency Relief Team, International Fund for Animal Welfare, 290 Summer Street, Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts 02675, USA. vruoppolo@uol.com.br
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ruoppolo
authors.forename: Ralph Eric Thijl
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Vanstreels
authors.forename: Juliana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marigo
authors.forename: José Luiz
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Catão-Dias
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000818:Animals; D001118:Argentina; D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D001938:Brazil; D002784:Cholesterol; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004289:Dolphins; D005260:Female; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol