title: Necrotizing and eosinophilic masticatory myositis in farmed mink: a preliminary description.
abstract: This report describes necrotizing and eosinophilic myositis affecting the masticatory muscles of a group of mink. Affected animals demonstrated sudden death with marked subcutaneous oedema over the dorsal head. The temporalis and masseter muscles were pale, swollen and friable. Histologic changes consisted of varying degrees of myodegeneration, myonecrosis and inflammation. Eosinophils were prominent in the inflammatory infiltrate. Similar to dogs, masticatory muscles in mink were found to contain unique type 2M fibres, suggesting a possible target for an immune response. Aerobic and anaerobic tissue cultures of the affected musculature revealed no significant pathogens. Histological and nutritional analyses were not typical of vitamin E/selenium deficiency. This case series supports the existence of a novel disease entity in mink with some features comparable with masticatory muscle myositis in dogs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48894, USA.
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Needle
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48894, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hollinger
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0709, USA.
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Shelton
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48894, USA. Electronic address: fitzgerald@dcpah.msu.edu.
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008410:Masticatory Muscles / Q000473:pathology*; D008907:Mink; D049288:Muscular Dystrophies, Limb-Girdle; D009220:Myositis / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D009336:Necrosis
keywords: eosinophilic myositis; masticatory muscle; mink; pathology