title: Endogenous lipid (cholesterol) pneumonia in three captive Siberian tigers (Panthera tigris altaica).
abstract: During the years 2009-2011, 7 Siberian tigers (Panthera tigris altaica), aged between 2 and 14 years, from the Safaripark of Pombia were referred for necropsy to the Department of Animal Pathology of the University of Turin (Italy). Three tigers, aged 10 (2 animals) and 14 years, had multifocal, irregularly distributed, white, soft, subpleural, 3-mm nodules scattered throughout the lungs. Histologically, there was a marked infiltration of macrophages, with foamy cytoplasm, and multinucleate giant cells interspersed with numerous clusters of cholesterol clefts. A mild lymphocytic infiltration was localized around the lesion. The findings were consistent with endogenous lipid pneumonia, which was considered an incidental finding of no clinical significance.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Patologia Animale, Università degli Studi di Torino, Grugliasco, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bollo
authors.forename: Frine Eleonora
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Scaglione
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chiappino
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sereno
authors.forename: Orfeo
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Triberti
authors.forename: Cathrin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schröder
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D006651:Histocytochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D011017:Pneumonia, Lipid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D046010:Tigers
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol