title: Chordoma of the thoracic vertebrae in a Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris).
abstract: A 19-year-old female Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) was presented with hind limb weakness, ataxia and respiratory distress. Computed tomography revealed a mass between the left side of the T7 vertebra and the base of the left 7th rib. The tiger then died, and necropsy was performed. Grossly, the vertebral mass was 6 × 5.7 × 3 cm, and invaded the adjacent vertebral bone and compressed the T7 spinal cord. Histologically, the mass was composed of large, clear, vacuolated and polygonal cells with osteochondral matrix. Cellular and nuclear atypia were moderate. The vacuolated cells stained positively for cytokeratin and vimentin and negatively for S-100. Based on these findings, the present case was diagnosed as a vertebral chordoma; the first report in a tiger.
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Pathology, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-58 Rinku-Ourai-Kita, Izumisano City, Osaka 598-8531, Japan.
authors.forename: Mizuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuramochi
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Izawa
authors.forename: Mayuka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.forename: Kayo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kusuda
authors.forename: Junichiro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Toshie
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iseri
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akiyoshi
authors.forename: Fumihito
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ohashi
authors.forename: Mitsuru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuwamura
authors.forename: Jyoji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yamate
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002817:Chordoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology; D046010:Tigers; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000662:veterinary