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Hepatic Lesions in Cetaceans Stranded in the Canary Islands

Unidad de Histología y Anatomía Patológica, Instituto de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain (JRJ, MA, MA, MH, AF); Departamento de Anatomía y Anatomía Patológica Comparadas, Facultad de Veterinaria de Córdoba, Las Palmas, Spain (JP, JCGV); and Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utretcht University, The Netherlands (TVDI)

This article describes the gross, histopathologic, and ultrastructural findings of the livers of cetaceans stranded on the coast of the Canary Islands between 1992 and 2000. A total of 135 cetaceans were included in the study, among which 25 were common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), 23 Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis), 19 striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), and 15 other species of dolphins and whales. The most common lesion observed in these animals was a nonspecific chronic reactive hepatitis (47/135), followed by hyaline intracytoplasmic inclusions in hepatocytes (33/135). Parasitic cholangitis was detected in 8/135 animals, whereas hepatic lipidosis was presented in 7/135 animals. The ultrastructure of hyaline hepatocytic cytoplasmic inclusions is described, and possible causes of these inclusions are discussed.

Key words: Cetaceans; dolphins; hepatic lesions; liver; ultrastructure.

Request reprints from Dr. A. Fernández, Departamento Anatomía y Anatomía Patológica Comparadas, Facultad de Veterinaria, Trasmontaña s/n, 35416, Arucas, Las Palmas (Spain). E-mail: afernandez{at}dmor.ulpgc.es.

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