A 1.5-year-old male Moluccan cockatoo (Cacatua moluccensis) presented to Kansas State University Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital with a 4-month history of lethargy and weakness. Hematologic and radiographic diagnostic testing revealed profound leukocytosis and coelomic and pulmonary granulomatous masses of unknown origin. The bird died during laparoscopic evaluation under general anesthesia. Necropsy revealed multiple pulmonary and hepatic soft-tissue nodules and an intracoelomic mass over the left kidney communicating with external subcutaneous masses and a pericloacal mass of similar gross appearance. Histopathologic findings identified a severe, disseminated, inflammatory infiltration of multiple tissues and multiple granulomas containing bizarre multinucleated cells. No causative agent of this granulomatous disease was identified. To our knowledge, this is the first report of systemic atypical granulomatous disease in Moluccan cockatoo. Traditional causes of granulomatous disease include mycotic disease, bacterial (ie, Mycobacterium) disease, and neoplasia. Attempts to identify an causative agent or neoplasia were unsuccessful. A retrospective review of pathology records revealed 2 additional cases with identical pathologic lesions. All 3 cases occurred in young Moluccan cockatoos and are assumed to be a disease of unknown origin that could be unique to this species.
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1 June 2008
Three Cases of Systemic Atypical Granulomatous Disease in Moluccan Cockatoos (Cacatua Moluccensis): A New Syndrome
Gretchen A. Cole,
Michael M. Garner,
James W. Carpenter,
Keiichi Kuroki,
Rachel A. Bowlus,
Kenneth S. Latimer
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Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery
Vol. 22 • No. 2
June 2008
Vol. 22 • No. 2
June 2008
Avian
Cacatua moluccensis
granulomatous disease
malignant histiocytosis
Moluccan cockatoo
sarcoidosis