Gastric infarction in cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis)

Five cases of gastric infarction were observed in adolescent or adult cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) over a 20-month period. Gastric infarcts were encountered as striking and unexpected findings at necropsy. Gross and microscopic findings included gastric necrosis, hemorrhage, and edema that involved large areas of the fundus and pylorus. A consistent finding was the presence of thrombi in the gastric microvasculature, particularly in the venous system. All animals had acute clinical episodes with substantial tissue damage resulting from a variety of causes, including trauma, pancreatitis, necrotizing cystitis, and intestinal intussusception. In addition, three animals had microvascular thrombosis in nongastric tissues. Our findings suggest that cynomolgus monkeys may be predisposed to developing gastric infarction under conditions of severe systemic insult that predispose to disseminated intravascular coagulation.