Pituitary tumors are rare in chinchillas. This report describes the clinical, gross, histologic, and immunohistochemical characteristics of pituitary tumors in 4 chinchillas. The affected chinchillas were females between 4 and 18 years of age. Clinically, neurologic signs were most commonly reported and included depression, obtundation, seizure, head-pressing, ataxia, and possible blindness. Computed tomography scanning of 2 chinchillas revealed solitary intracranial extra-axial masses in the region of the pituitary gland. Two pituitary tumors were confined to the pars distalis; the other 2 invaded the brain. Based on their microscopic appearances and lack of distant metastases, all 4 tumors were diagnosed as pituitary adenomas. Immunohistochemically, all pituitary adenomas were weakly to strongly positive for growth hormone, most consistent with the diagnosis of somatotropic pituitary adenomas. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first detailed report of the clinical, pathologic, and immunohistochemical features of pituitary tumors in chinchillas.
Keywords: Chinchilla lanigera; chinchilla; growth hormone; immunohistochemistry; pituitary adenoma; pituitary neuroendocrine tumors.