title: Primary diffuse malignant peritoneal mesothelioma in a striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis).
abstract: A 10-year-old female striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis) was admitted with severe abdominal distension and lethargy. Cytological examination of the peritoneal fluid revealed activated mesothelial cells. At necropsy, numerous growing together, projecting, 2 to 20 mm in diameter tawny to white masses were scattered throughout the peritoneum including the mesentery, omentum and intestinal serosa. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of prominent papillo-tubular structures, and immunohistochemically, the spindle to polygonal-shaped tumor cells with nuclear polymorphism were strongly reactive for calretinin. Based on those diagnostic features, the neoplasia was diagnosed as malignant mesothelioma. This is the first case report of mesothelioma in the skunk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Institute of Veterinary Science, Kangwon National University, 1 Kangwondaehak-gil, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do 24341, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Su-Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yeonsu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Suk-Hun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Jeong-Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012889:Mephitidae; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D000086002:Mesothelioma, Malignant; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*