Animal: Flamingo, adult, female
Diagnosis: Kidney: Amyloidosis, diffuse, severe, chronic
Description: Both kidneys were diffusely swollen, pale and yellowish.
Comments: Clinically, the flamingo presented with diarrhoea and a poor general condition. At necropsy the flamingo was emaciated and the carpal joint of the right wing had a chronic suppurative to proliferative arthritis. In addition to the kidneys, extensive amyloid depositions were histologically present in the spleen, liver and intestine. Diarrhoea was attributed to intestinal amyloidosis with consecutive reduced nutrient absorption and emaciation. Possible causes of generalized secondary amyloidosis especially in avian species are, amongst others, aspergillosis, mycobacteriosis and various parasitic infections / infestations.
Picture by Friederike Range, Department of Veterinary Pathology, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
Authored by Olivia Kershaw, Department of Veterinary Pathology, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany