title: Conjunctival mucinous adenocarcinoma in an ostrich (Struthio camelus).
abstract: A 2-year-old male ostrich (Struthio camelus) presented with a rapidly growing soft tissue mass protruding from the ventromedial aspect of the right eye (OD). The initial physical examination revealed a soft tissue mass attached to the medial inferior conjunctiva. The mass was excised with cryosurgery, and the conjunctival tissue margins were treated with cryoablation. Histopathological examination diagnosed granulomatous inflammation associated with scattered acid-fast bacteria. The ostrich recovered uneventfully and appeared healthy until recurrence of a grossly similar mass 2 months later. Gross examination revealed a botryoid mass attached to the inferior palpebral conjunctiva and extending onto the palpebral aspect of the nictitating membrane. Euthanasia was selected, and the histological diagnosis of the second mass was a mixed mucinous adenocarcinoma; however, no acid-fast bacteria were seen. Granulomatous conjunctival lesions have been previously described in the ostrich, while, to the authors' knowledge, neoplastic conjunctival lesions have not. Neoplasia should be considered as a differential diagnosis for a rapidly recurring, granulomatous conjunctival mass in this species.
authors.affiliation: Center for Zoo and Wild Animal Health, Copenhagen Zoo, Frederiksberg, 2000, Denmark.
authors.forename: Kathryn L
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3887-6302
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Perrin
authors.affiliation: Center for Zoo and Wild Animal Health, Copenhagen Zoo, Frederiksberg, 2000, Denmark.
authors.forename: Mads F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Bertelsen
authors.affiliation: Rudersdal dyreklinik, Rudemarken 37, Holte, 2840, Denmark.
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bartholin
authors.affiliation: Center for Zoo and Wild Animal Health, Copenhagen Zoo, Frederiksberg, 2000, Denmark.
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grøndahl
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.|Department of Ophthalmology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heegaard
mesh_terms: D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D003230:Conjunctival Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000628:therapy
keywords: 
  Struthio camelus
  ; conjunctiva; mucinous adenocarcinoma; neoplasia; nictitating membrane; ostrich