Related Experiment Videos
Gastric trichobezoars in a rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta)
1Division of Animal Resources, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Comparative Medicine
|January 24, 2003
Summary
A trichobezoar, or hairball, caused a serious abdominal mass in a rhesus macaque. Surgical removal was successful, highlighting the need to consider hairballs in nonhuman primate diagnostics.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Primate Health
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Trichobezoars, or hairballs, are rare in nonhuman primates.
- Abdominal masses in nonhuman primates can present diagnostic challenges.
Observation:
- An eight-year-old female rhesus macaque presented with a large abdominal mass.
- Radiography showed an opaque mass displacing the stomach.
- Biopsy confirmed the mass as a trichobezoar.
Findings:
- Initial medical management with lubricants was unsuccessful.
- The macaque experienced weight loss due to the gastric trichobezoars.
- Surgical removal of two gastric trichobezoars led to recovery.
Implications:
- Gastric trichobezoars can cause severe illness in nonhuman primates.
- Consider trichobezoars in the differential diagnosis for anorexia and weight loss in primates.
- Early detection and treatment of trichobezoars can prevent severe clinical signs.