Bone Disease in the Common Marmoset: Radiographic and Histological Findings

The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) is a New World primate that is used in biomedical research due to its small size and relative ease of handling compared with larger primates. Although bone disease in common marmosets is well recognized, there are very few detailed descriptions in the literature that cover the range of lesions seen in these animals. For all animals used to model human disease, it is important to be aware of background lesions that may affect the interpretation of study findings. This retrospective study details bone diseases encountered in marmoset breeding colonies at 2 different institutions. Affected marmosets at Johns Hopkins University had lesions compatible with diagnoses of rickets, fibrous osteodystrophy and osteopenia. Affected marmosets at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center exhibited severe lesions of osteoclastic bone resorption and remodeling that had an unusual distribution and were not easily categorized into a known disease entity. The purpose of this report is to document these naturally occurring skeletal lesions of common marmosets and suggest an approach to evaluating skeletal disease in prospective studies of these animals that will allow the most accurate diagnoses.