Ocular, naso-maxillary, and neural anomalies in raccoons, Procyon lotor (L.)

Congenital ocular and related anomalies were studied in two unrelated young raccoons. One animal was anophthalmic and had severe anomalies of the central nervous system, consisting of meningoencephalocele, pachygyria, hydranencephaly, cerebellar cavitation, syringomyelia, and other defects. A second animal was microphthalmic with congenital defects of the nose, maxilla and teeth. Ocular lesions were severe and included chorioretinal coloboma, retinal folds, disorganized neuroectodermal cell layers, spherophakia, cataract and other defects. The nose had unilateral abnormal epithelium, hair follicles, sweat glands and sebaceous glands, and a lack of parietal cartilage on the affected side.