2018•Journal of Comparative PathologyOpen access
Parotid Salivary Gland Basal Cell Adenocarcinoma in a Big-eared Opossum (Didelphis aurita)
Josué Díaz‐Delgado, Amanda Aparecida Cardoso Coimbra, Cinthya dos Santos-Cirqueira, Thaís C. Sanches, Juliana Mariotti Guerra, Antônia Santos Oliveira, C. Di Loretto, Ticiana Zwarg, Rodrigo Albergaria Réssio, Luana Rivas, Marianna Sansone, Filipe Onishi Nagamori, Cristina Takami Kanamura, P.S. Gonçalves, Natália Coelho Couto de Azevedo Fernandes, Kátia R. Groch, José Luiz Catão‐Dias
Open full text 4 citations
Abstract
The opossum (family Didelphidae) is a marsupial endemic to the Americas. Apart from the South American short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica) and the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), there is considerable lack of knowledge about the health and diseases of most opossum species. Among these, the big-eared opossum (Didelphis aurita) is found in Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. Natural and experimental studies have shown this species to be susceptible to infectious agents with zoonotic potential and the animals may play a role in transmission of such agents. However, neoplasia appears to be uncommon in this species. We describe the gross, microscopical and immunohistochemical features of a parotid salivary gland basal cell adenocarcinoma in a free-living big-eared opossum. This case represents the first report of salivary gland neoplasia in opossums.