The pathology of a disfiguring and debilitating fatal disease affecting a
high proportion of the wild population of Tasmanian Devils (Sarcophilus
harrisii) that was discovered is described. The disease, named devil
facial tumour disease (DFTD), has been identified in devils found across
60% of the Tasmanian landscape. The prevalence of this disease was
extremely variable, possibly reflecting seasonal trapping success.
Between 2001 and 2004, 91 DFTD cases were obtained for pathological
description. Grossly, the tumours presented as large, solid, soft tissue
masses usually with flattened, centrally ulcerated and exudative surfaces.
They were typically multi-centric, appearing first in the oral, face or neck
regions. Histologically, the tumours were composed of circumscribed to
infiltrative nodular aggregates of round to spindle-shaped cells often
within a pseudocapsule and divided into lobules by delicate fibrous
septae. They were locally aggressive and metastasised in 65% of cases.
There was minimal cytological differentiation amongst the tumour cell
population under light and electron microscopy. The diagnostic values of
a number of immunohistochemical stains were employed to further
characterise up to 50 representative cases. They were negative for
cytokeratin, epithelial membrane antigen, von Willebrand factor, desmin,
glial fibrillary acid protein, CD16, CD57, CD3 and LSP1. DFTD cells were
positive for vimentin, S-100, melan A, neuron specific enolase,
chromogranin A and synaptophysin. In conclusion, the morphological
and immunohistochemical characteristics together with the primary
distribution of the neoplasms indicate that DFTD is an undifferentiated
neoplasm of neuroendocrine histogenesis.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/221761 |
| Date | January 2006 |
| Creators | thefishvet@gmail.com, Richmond Loh |
| Publisher | Murdoch University |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | http://www.murdoch.edu.au/goto/CopyrightNotice, Copyright Richmond Loh |
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