Three novel neoplasms in Nancy Ma's owl monkeys (Aotus nancymaae).

Abstract

Neoplasms are only sporadically reported in New World primates and rarely in owl monkeys (Aotus spp.), specifically. Previous reports of neoplasms in owl monkeys are primarily restricted to lymphoma induced by Herpesvirus saimiri infection, although other tumors in the central nervous, genitourinary, gastrointestinal, and endocrine systems have been sporadically reported. Herein, we describe 3 previously unreported neoplasms in owl monkeys (Aotus nancymaae) including a pericardial mesothelioma in a 6-year-old male, a nephroblastoma in a 2-year-old male, and a cervical neoplasm with characteristics of an epithelioid trophoblastic tumor in a 4-year-old female, all occurring in the same closed breeding colony at a research facility in central Texas. Reporting of spontaneously occurring neoplasms in research colony populations is important for identifying potential animal models of human diseases and for improving colony management and species health.