Fetus in Fetu in a Harbor Seal ( Phoca vitulina richardi ): Histopathologic, Genetic, and Toxicologic Analysis
A young harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardi), stranded on the coast of California, was found to have a 20-cm-diameter cranial cervical mass. Surgical excision revealed the subcutaneous mass to be covered in haired skin with multiple glabrous areas and structures resembling a jaw with tooth buds, ey...
| Published in: | Veterinary Pathology |
|---|---|
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publications
2006
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1354/vp.43-4-541 http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1354/vp.43-4-541 http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full-xml/10.1354/vp.43-4-541 |
| Summary: | A young harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardi), stranded on the coast of California, was found to have a 20-cm-diameter cranial cervical mass. Surgical excision revealed the subcutaneous mass to be covered in haired skin with multiple glabrous areas and structures resembling a jaw with tooth buds, eyelids, and a tail. The mass deformed the host pup's skull. Histologic examination revealed a complete vertebra in the tail, teeth in the jaw, and areas resembling tongue and larynx. Class 1 MHC sequences amplified by polymerase chain reaction from the mass and the host twin were identical. The mass was diagnosed as a fetus in fetu, a rare congenital anomaly in which 1 conjoined twin is completely enclosed in the body of the other twin. The host pup died, and no additional defects were found; however, blubber levels of persistent organic pollutants were high. The cause of the congenital anomaly in this pup is uncertain. |
|---|