Name
A RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW OF VASCULAR NEOPLASIA IN DOMESTIC RABBITS: 21 CASES OVER 30 YEARS
Speakers
Marley Iredale, Northwest Zoopath
Molly Gleeson, PETS Referral Center
Rebecca Smedley, Michigan State University
Cory Howard, Michigan State University
Michael Garner, Northwest ZooPath
Molly Gleeson, PETS Referral Center
Rebecca Smedley, Michigan State University
Cory Howard, Michigan State University
Michael Garner, Northwest ZooPath
Description
Domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus domesticus) are common companion animals and are common in outreach programs at zoological institutions. The prevalence of neoplasia in domestic rabbits has been reported between 0.5-2.7% (1). Vascular tumors, including hemangioma, hemangiosarcoma, lymphangioma, and lymphangiosarcoma, are rarely reported (1). Vascular neoplasia has been reported in laboratory New Zealand White rabbits (2-6), one wild rabbit (5), and several pet rabbits (7, 8).
A retrospective search was conducted on the archives of Northwest ZooPath over a thirty-year period, which identified 21 domestic rabbits with vascular lesions, including one cutaneous hemangioma (1/22), eight uterine hemangiomas (8/22), one uterine hemangioleiomyoma (1/22), one ovarian hemangioma (1/22), two intrabdominal hemangiosarcomas (2/22), five disseminated hemangiosarcomas (5/22), two cutaneous and/or subcutaneous hemangiosarcomas (2/22), one subcutaneous lymphangioma (1/22), and one cutaneous vascular anomaly (1/22). One patient had both an ovarian and a uterine hemangioma. Immunohistochemistry is being performed to confirm these diagnoses. Fourteen (14/22) of the tumors were diagnosed on biopsy (5/14) or ovariohysterectomy (9/14), and eight (8/22) were diagnosed at necropsy. The cause of death (3/6) or euthanasia (3/6) was attributed to the tumor in six (6/22) cases, and all of these neoplasms were hemangiosarcomas. Two patients died (1/2) or were euthanized (1/2) due to unrelated disease, and both of these tumors were uterine hemangiomas. One patient (1/22) with a subcutaneous lymphangioma was euthanized for unknown reasons.
This case series increases our understanding of the appearance and behavior of vascular neoplasms in rabbits, which will aid in diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.
Session Type
Lecture (25 Min)