Spontaneous uterine fibroleiomyoma in a captive cheetah

Information on uterine neoplasia in felids and more so in non-domestic felids is sparse. In non-domestic felids, this may be due to the small sample size. A uterine fibroleiomyoma is described in a 17-year-old captive cheetah. The multicentric nodular tumour masses were situated in the myometrium, were well demarcated, non-encapsulated and did not show infiltrative growth. Between the neoplastic cells, numerous of varying width, and irregularly braided bundles and whorls of collagen and reticular fibres were demonstrated. Immunohistochemical examinations revealed positive reactions for both desmin, the marker for smooth and skeletal muscle cells, and vimentin, the marker for fibrocyte-derived cells.