title: Muscle Pathology in Free-Ranging Stranded Cetaceans.
abstract: Despite the profound impact that skeletal muscle disorders may pose for the daily activities of wild terrestrial and marine mammals, such conditions have been rarely described in cetaceans. In this study, the authors aimed to determine the nature and prevalence of skeletal muscle lesions in small and large odontocetes and mysticetes ( n = 153) from 19 different species. A macroscopic evaluation of the epaxial muscle mass and a histologic examination of the longissimus dorsi muscle were performed in all cases. The only macroscopically evident change was variable degrees of atrophy of the epaxial muscles ( longissimus dorsi, multifidus, spinalis) in emaciated specimens. The histopathological study revealed single or combined morphological changes in 91.5% of the cases. These changes included the following: degenerative lesions (75.2%), muscle atrophy (37.9%), chronic myopathic changes (25.5%), parasitic infestation (9.2%), and myositis (1.9%). The skeletal muscle is easily sampled during a necropsy and provides essential microscopic information that reflects both local and systemic conditions. Thus, skeletal muscle should be systematically sampled, processed, and examined in all stranded cetaceans.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Veterinary Pathology, Institute for Animal Health, Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Arucas, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sierra
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Veterinary Pathology, Institute for Animal Health, Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Arucas, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Espinosa de Los Monteros
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Veterinary Pathology, Institute for Animal Health, Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Arucas, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Veterinary Pathology, Institute for Animal Health, Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Arucas, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Díaz-Delgado
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Veterinary Pathology, Institute for Animal Health, Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Arucas, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Suárez-Santana
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Veterinary Pathology, Institute for Animal Health, Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Arucas, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arbelo
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Anatomy and Comparative Pathology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sierra
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Veterinary Pathology, Institute for Animal Health, Veterinary School, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Arucas, Spain.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Herráez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002591:Cetacea; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology*; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: Sarcocystis; Toxoplasma; atrophy; cetaceans; chronic myopathic changes; degenerative changes; hypertrophy; myositis; skeletal muscle