title: Medium-grade astrocytoma in a cougar (Puma concolor).
abstract: A 17-year-old, male castrated cougar (Puma concolor) was presented minimally responsive and severely depressed, with bilateral mydriasis and absent pupillary light response. On gross examination of the brain, there was a tan-to-gray, invasive mass with a central cavitation on the ventral aspect in the left cerebral hemisphere, rostral to the caudate nucleus. On histopathologic examination, the mass was composed of sheets of medium-sized, round-to-polygonal cells that were multifocally separated by islands of neuropil. Approximately 80% of the neoplastic cells showed strong cytoplasmic labeling for glial fibrillary acidic protein. These findings were consistent with a medium-grade astrocytoma. To the authors' knowledge, neoplastic disease of the central nervous system has not been previously reported in cougars.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32608, USA. kondoh@ufl.edu
authors.forename: Hirotaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: Angelique M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Erlacher-Reid
authors.forename: Joy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gary
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kiupel
authors.forename: Lisa L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Farina
authors.forename: Jeffrey R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Abbott
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D046011:Puma