141:4, 2009 ESVP/ECVP Proceedings 2009 267

5 methenamine-silver. Blubber samples were processed for electron

MULTIFOCAL GRANULOMATOUS PANNICULITIS WITHCEROID PIGMENT IN TWO MEDITERRANEAN STRIPEDDOLPHINS (STENELLA COERUELOALBA) COMPATIBLE

WITH NUTRITIONAL PANNICULITISS. Soto*, I. Galindo-Cardiel*,x, D. Fondevila*, B. Gonzalez y,

E. Gomez-Campos z and M. Domingox

*Department of Health and Animal Anatomy, Veterinary Faculty, AutonomousUniversity of Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, yCRAM, Premia de Mar,zAnimal Biology, Biology Faculty, University of Barcelona, Barcelona and

xCRESA, UAB-IRTA, Bellaterra, SpainIntroduction: Two striped dolphins (S. coeruleoalba) died shortly af-ter being found stranded. Both animals had lesions in the blubberthat resembled those of nutritional panniculitis. To our knowledgethese lesions have not been described previously in cetaceans.Materials and Methods: Complete necropsies were performedand tissue samples were processed routinely and stained with haema-toxylin and eosin (HE). Skin sections were also stained with periodicacideSchiff (PAS), Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN), Gram stain and Grocott

microscopy and brain and lymph nodes were tested for morbillivirusby immunohistochemistry (IHC).Results: In both dolphins the most relevant finding was the presenceof non-raised, yellow-orange lesions in the blubber. Microscopically,these were granulomas composed of macrophages and multinucleatedgiant cells containing abundant intracytoplasmic vacuolar materialthat was autofluorescent under blue light and stained positivelywith PAS and ZN. Osmiophilic rounded structures were observedin the cytoplasm of macrophages by electron microscopy. No micro-organisms were identified within the lesions and IHC for morbillivi-rus antigen was negative.Conclusions: The occurrence of ceroid pigment in inflammatory le-sions of the panniculus is characteristic of nutritional panniculitis andis commonly associated with diets deficient in vitamin E and/or richin unsaturated fatty acids. We believe that the blubber lesions ob-served in these two dolphins are compatible with nutritional pannicu-litis. However, determination of vitamin E levels would be necessaryto confirm this suspicion.

Dog and Cat Pathology

1CARDIAC FIBROSIS IN CATS

H. Aupperle*, I. Marz y, K. Baldauf y and H.-A. Schoon**Institute of Veterinary Pathology and yDepartment of Small Animal Medicine,

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Germany

Introduction: The pathogenesis of feline endomyocardial fibrosis,clinically classified as restrictive cardiomyopathy, remains uncertain.Only single case descriptions are available. The present study aimedto characterize the alterations in more detail.Materials and Methods: 22 cats with extensive myocardial fibrosis(mean age 9.3 years) and 36 healthy cats (mean age 7.7 years) wereinvestigated clinically (n 5 14), grossly and microscopically (HE andpicrosirius red staining).Results: Heart weight and size were significantly higher (P ! 0.001)in cats with fibrosis compared with controls. The left (n 5 16) andright (n 5 10) atria were markedly dilated. Diffuse atrial endocardialfibroelastosis in the cats with fibrosis was up to 80 � 23 mm (controls23 � 12 mm). Echocardiographically, the left ventricle had markedimpairment of systolic function (6/14) and hyperechoic areas (10/14) related to extensive myocardial fibrosis (n 5 18), which was char-acterized by interstitial (n 5 9), perivascular (n 5 7) and/or replace-ment (n 5 10) fibrosis. In 11 cases the endocardium was thickened upto 214 � 70 mm (controls 26 � 10 mm) by increased amounts (50%)of collagen III (controls 30%). Marked mitral valve degeneration(n 5 12) and angiosclerosis of the intramural vessels (n 5 16) wereseen in cats with cardiac fibrosis.Conclusions: The combination of vascular and valvular degenera-tion and endomyocardial fibrosis suggests a complex pathogenesis ofmyocardial remodelling.

2ARRHYTHMOGENIC RIGHT VENTRICULAR

CARDIOMYOPATHY ASSOCIATED WITH SUDDEN DEATHIN TWO CHINESE CRESTED DOG SIBLINGS

E. KarlstamDepartment of Pathology and Wildlife Diseases, National Veterinary Institute,

Uppsala, SwedenIntroduction: Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy(ARVC) is a primary myocardial disease primarily affecting the rightventricle. Gradual replacement of the myocardium by fibro-fatty tis-sue leads to right ventricular dilation and right-sided heart failure orfatal arrhythmia. ARVC occurs as an inherited disease in man andboxer dogs.Material and Methods: Two Chinese crested dog siblings died sud-denly at the age of 22 and 18 months, respectively. No clinical signspreceded the deaths. Both dogs underwent complete necropsyexamination.Results: Myocardial lesions consistent with ARVC were present inboth dogs. Macroscopically, severe dilatation of the right and leftventricles was accompanied by diffuse thinning of the ventricularwalls. The ventricular myocardium showed patchy discoloration,due to numerous diffusely scattered intramural white streaks andspots. Histologically, the myocardium of the right ventricle wasextensively infiltrated by fat or fibro-fatty tissue. Remaining myo-fibres were often thin and atrophic. Scattered within the myocar-dium were occasional small infiltrates of lymphocytes.Conclusions: This is to our knowledge the first report of ARVC inChinese crested dogs. The close relationship of the dogs raises a strongsuspicion that ARVC may be a familial disease in this breed.