Mycotic salpingitis in a Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

An adult female Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) was received for postmortem examination. Necropsy revealed the presence of white to grayish nodules 2-5 mm in diameter on the serosal surface of the oviduct. Aspergillus flavus was isolated from these nodules in pure culture. Histologically, these nodules were medium to large granulomatous lesions in serosa and the muscular wall of the oviduct. The lesions contained a large central necrotic core surrounded by giant cells, macrophages, and mononuclear cells. Similar cells in addition to heterophils also infiltrated the serosa, muscular layer, submucosa, and mucosa to varying degrees. Branched septate hyphae predominantly invaded the central caseous mass and to some extent invaded the surrounding areas of the nodules.