NEVPC 2021

Signalment:46-year-old female Chimpanzee

History:An adult female chimpanzee presented for acute decline after a 2-week history of lethargy and inappetence.

Gross Lesions:Multiple, wide fibrous adhesions were present between the cranial abdominal wall along midline and the underlying serosa / omentum. The caudal abdominal organs within the pelvis (rectum, urinary bladder, ovaries, vagina, distal colon) were consolidated by dense, concentric bands of fibrous tissue. An 18 x 12 x 7 cm pocket of ~150 ml of red, turbid fluid with multiple large blood clots was present in the caudal-right abdomen. This pocket began cranially at the cecum, extended along the right body wall forming a large pool within right-medial pelvic canal and was bounded by a 2-3mm thick gray-tan fibrovascular wall. Three large (up to 2.5 cm diameter), thin walled (regionally < 1 mm thick), diverticula were identified extending from the proximal colon. On the surface, the diverticulum directly opposite the ileo-cecal-colic junction, there was a 10 x 10 mm irregular tear which communicated with the septic pocket described above. The edges of this tear were separated at the mucosal / muscularis and slightly hemorrhagic. The intestinal material within the cecum and proximal colon was similar in color and consistency as that removed from the fluid pocket. After fixation, two additional full thickness tears were observed within the diverticula.