An adult female Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) presented with an enlarging nasal limbal mass of the left eye. The mass was excised and the surgical bed treated with liquid nitrogen cryotherapy. Histopathologic examination of the excised tissue showed the mass to be a superficial dysplastic ocular lesion, or conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasm. A 5-yr follow-up period has passed without complications or recurrence, suggesting that as is the case in humans (Homo sapiens), excision and cryotherapy is an effective treatment for these lesions in elephants. This is the first report of any ocular neoplasia in an elephant.
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1 September 2006
CONJUNCTIVAL-CORNEAL INTRAEPITHELIAL NEOPLASM IN AN ASIAN ELEPHANT (ELEPHAS MAXIMUS)
F. T. Fraunfelder,
Mitch Finnegan,
David J. Wilson
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Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine
Vol. 37 • No. 3
September 2006
Vol. 37 • No. 3
September 2006
Asian elephant
Elephas maximus
liquid nitrogen cryotherapy
ocular neoplasia