Abstract
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.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 541-544 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Veterinary pathology |
Volume | 43 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jul 21 2006 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Congenital defect
- Contaminants
- Fetus in fetu
- Harbor seal
- Major histocompatibility complex
- Phoca vitulina richardi
- Twin
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- veterinary(all)