title: Surgical resection of peripheral odontogenic fibromas in African pygmy hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris): a case study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neoplastic lesions of the mammary gland, lymph nodes, or oral cavity in African pygmy hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris) are common in captive animals. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy protocols have not yet been established for the African pygmy hedgehog. Thus, surgical resection is the current treatment of choice in this species.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 5-year-old male African pygmy hedgehog showed multiple erythematous, round small tumors located in the oral cavity, on both sides of maxilla. The treatment of choice was surgical resection of tumors using a surgical knife under general anesthesia. Excised neoplastic lesions were diagnosed as peripheral odontogenic fibroma by histopathology. Six months after surgery relapse of tumors in the oral cavity was not observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The treatment adopted in this case report is safe for the patient and provides the best solution for mild proliferative lesions of the oral cavity. To our knowledge this is the first report of surgical resection of oral tumors (peripheral odontogenic fibroma) in the African pygmy hedgehog.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epizootiology and Clinic of Bird and Exotic Animals, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland. anna.wozniak@up.wroc.pl.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wozniak-Biel
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Physiology and Biostructure, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland. maciej.janeczek@up.wroc.pl.
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Janeczek
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland. izabela.janus87@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Izabela
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Janus
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland. marcin.nowak@up.wroc.pl.
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nowak
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005350:Fibroma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D006364:Hedgehogs; D008297:Male; D009808:Odontogenic Tumors / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*