title: Intestinal undifferentiated carcinoma in a red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis).
abstract: A 33-year-old red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis) had a diffuse intestinal thickening from the duodenum to colon. Microscopically, neoplastic cells were arranged in sheets and occasionally nests or cords without gland or squamous differentiation. Metastatic tumor cells were found in the lungs, heart, kidneys and adrenal glands. Immunohistochemically, the neoplastic cells were strongly positive for pan-cytokeratin and cytokeratin 8 and 18 and only partly positive for E-cadherin antibodies. Immunostaining for CD3 was positive in normal lymphocytes, and NSE was also positive in normal nerve fibers. But, the neoplastic cells were not immunoreactive to CD3 and NSE. Based on the histological features and the epithelial characteristics in the immunohistochemical stain, the present case was diagnosed as undifferentiated carcinoma originating from the intestine. Interestingly, the neoplastic cells showed a unique growth pattern; they never invaded the submucosa or muscularis throughout the intestine, whereas they spread lymphogenously or hematogenously to other organs.
authors: Department of Veterinary Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Rakuno Gakuen University, 582 Bunkyodai-Midorimachi, Ebetsu, Hokkaido 069-8501, Japan.
authors: Kanako
authors: K
authors: Sakaguchi
authors: Hiroko
authors: H
authors: Iima
authors: Kazuya
authors: K
authors: Matsuda
authors: Minoru
authors: M
authors: Okamoto
authors: Kazuko
authors: K
authors: Hirayama
authors: Shinobu
authors: S
authors: Ikoma
authors: Ryoji
authors: R
authors: Shimura
authors: Hiroyuki
authors: H
authors: Taniyama
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D001717:Birds; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007414:Intestinal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male