Nasal Adenocarcinoma and Secondary Chronic Sinusitis in a Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus)

• Published in: Journal of avian medicine and surgery Vol. 28; no. 2; pp. 143 - 150
• Main Authors: Noonan, Brendan P, de Matos, Ricardo, Butler, Brian P, Southard, Theresa L, Morrisey, James K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States The Association of Avian Veterinarians 01-06-2014; Association of Avian Veterinarians
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma; Adenocarcinoma - diagnosis; Adenocarcinoma - pathology; Adenocarcinoma - veterinary; Animals; Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus; avian; Bird Diseases - pathology; Birds; Case studies; Clinical Report; Clinical Reports; Diagnosis; Diverticulum; Fatal Outcome; Health aspects; hyacinth macaw; Leukocytosis; Macaws; Male; Neoplasia; Nose cancer; Nose Neoplasms - diagnosis; Nose Neoplasms - pathology; Nose Neoplasms - veterinary; Parrots; Psittaciformes; psittacine; Sinuses; Sinusitis; Sinusitis - etiology; Sinusitis - pathology; Sinusitis - veterinary; Stents; Surgical specialties
• ISSN: 1082-6742; 1938-2871
• DOI: 10.1647/2013-023

An adult male hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) that presented for acute onset nasal discharge and dyspnea had purulent discharge from the right naris and serosanguineous discharge from the left naris on physical examination. Results of a complete blood count revealed severe leukocytosis with a mature heterophilia. Computed tomography scans showed a large amount of soft-tissue attenuating material within the infraorbital sinus and associated diverticula. Aerobic culture results of the nasal discharge showed a mixed population of Staphylococcus intermedius and Pasteurella species, including Pasteurella pneumotropica; all isolated bacteria were susceptible to enrofloxacin. Clinical signs did not resolve over the course of 9 weeks of antibiotic treatment. The macaw died after cardiopulmonary arrest while hospitalized. At necropsy, a 2 × 2 × 3–cm firm, tan, friable, space-occupying mass surrounded by a thick exudate was present in the left preorbital diverticulum of the infraorbital sinus. The cranioventral one-third of the trachea contained a 4 × 0.5–cm white-yellow plaque. On histologic examination, the sinus mass was diagnosed as a nasal adenocarcinoma, and the tracheal plaque was caused by fungal infection, most likely with an Aspergillus species.