Cerebral neuroblastoma and pituitary adenocarcinoma in two budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus)

Case 1: A tumor mass involving the rostral part of left cerebrum was found in a two-year-old female budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) at necropsy. Histologically, the neoplastic cells were arranged in sheets or cords and occasionally showed nest growth patterns. These uniform tumor cells had a little cytoplasm and ovoid or round basophilic nuclei with clearly distinct cytoplasmic membranes. The tumor cells were strong diffusely immunostained with both neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and neurofilament protein and partially for synaptophysin. They lacked chromogranin A, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), vimentin, S-100, and cytokeratin antigen expression. Moreover, they had no reaction to antibodies against pituitary hormones, such as adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), growth hormone, and prolactin. The histological and immunohistochemical examination determined the tumor as neuroblastoma. Case 2: An extremely enlarged pituitary mass was found above the sella turcica of a male budgerigar. It was soft and well delineated from the adjacent structures. On histological examination, this tumor consisted of a sheet of large closely packed polyhedral cells that had scant to a large amount of pale to strongly eosinophilic cytoplasm. The pleomorphic nuclei were apparently variable in shape, from small round hyperchromatic to very large vesicular forms. The cell boundaries were not clearly distinct. The multifocal immunolabelling of neoplastic cells for NSE, synaptophysin, GFAP, and ACTH appeared, whereas a few cells reacted with vimentin and S-100 and stained negative for other markers, which were also utilized for case 1. Histological and immunohistochemical findings led to identification of corticotroph adenocarcinoma in the pituitary gland.