L'apprentissage chez les orques (Orcinus orca) en captivité

Les orques (Orcinus orca) sont les plus grands des Delphinidés, super-prédateurs vivant dans presque tous les océans du globe. Après quelques rappels de phylogenèse et de taxonomie, les particularités physiques et biologiques de l'orque sont présentées. Nous décrivons ensuite les deux modes principaux d'apprentissage animal : l'apprentissage associatif classique (Pavlov), où l'animal associe stimulus et réponse de nature involontaire et incontrôlable, et l'apprentissage associatif instrumental, le seul appliqué aujourd'hui chez les orques captives. Dans ce second mode d'apprentissage, encore appelé conditionnement opérant, la réponse est augmentée ou diminuée par les événements qui la suivent. Dans l'exemple d'un parc marin, le Marineland d'Antibes, les soigneurs ont réalisé le projet qui leur tenait à coeur : rejoindre leurs amies noires et blanches dans le bassin

Solitary Fibrous Tumor in the Round Ligament of the Liver: A Fortunate Intraoperative Discovery

Solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) are mesenchymal neoplasms of fibroblastic origin, most commonly found in the pleura. Numerous extrathoracic locations have been reported during the last 2 decades. Herein, we report the first case of an SFT in the round ligament of the liver. A 46-year-old Caucasian man presented with a 12-month history of abdominal pain. An ultrasonography-guided microbiopsy first revealed a desmoid tumor. After failure of first- and second-line medical treatments (celecoxib and tamoxifen, then imatinib), histological reexamination was suspicious for a low-grade sarcoma. MRI was also suspicious for a malignant process. Hence, surgery was decided. Laparotomy found a huge and well-limited tumor that, unexpectedly, was appended to the round ligament of the liver and free from any other intra-abdominal contact. The tumor was easily removed. Excision was monobloc and macroscopically complete. Histological analysis diagnosed an SFT arising from the round ligament of the liver. No adjuvant treatment was given. Ten months after surgery, the patient is alive without any signs or symptoms of relapse. This is the first report of SFT arising from the round ligament of the liver. It illustrates the difficulty in diagnosing such tumors. Whilst diagnosis of SFT is rare, it should be kept in mind to allow early diagnosis and complete surgical resection, which provide the best chance for recovery

Aquatic Mammals

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of post mortem aqueous humor analysis in estimating serum chemistry in California sea lions (Zalophus californianus). Serum and aqueous humor from the left eye were collected from 35 sea lions that were euthanized due to poor prognosis. Each animal was examined post mortem, and each head was preserved at ambient temperature. Aqueous humor was collected from the right eye either 24 or 48 h after death. All samples were analyzed with an automated chemistry analyzer by bichromatic photometry and potentiometry. Blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, sodium, chloride, and magnesium showed significant positive linear relationships between serum and aqueous humor values both at the time of death and 24 h later. For aqueous humor sampled after 48 h, the relationships were only significant for blood urea nitrogen and creatinine. For the remaining chemistry parameters, the relationship between levels of those from serum and in aqueous humor were not significant. Serum and aqueous humor collected from 15 animals diagnosed with renal failure were evaluated for antibodies to Leptospira using the microscopic agglutination test. All tested sera were positive for L. interrogans serovar pomona, with titers greater than 1:25,600. Of titers tested in the aqueous humor, 56% were positive, having values of 1:200 to 1:12,800. These results indicate that an accurate estimate of serum blood urea nitrogen and creatinine can be made from the analysis of aqueous humor at necropsy of California sea lions within 48 h of death, facilitating the diagnosis of renal failure in beached carcasses (one of the most common causes of death in wild sea lions)

L'apprentissage chez les orques (Orcinus orca) en captivité

TOULOUSE3-BU Santé-Centrale (315552105) / SudocTOULOUSE-EN Vétérinaire (315552301) / SudocSudocFranceF

Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumour with Synchronous Bone Metastases: A Case Report and Literature Review

Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) are mesenchymal tumours of the digestive tract, derived from Cajal interstitial cells. Bone metastases are very rare, and there is no consensus regarding their treatment. Here, we present the unusual case of a 66-year-old man with a gastric GIST with synchronous bone and liver metastases, fully documented at the pathological and molecular levels with a KIT exon 11 mutation. After 9 months of imatinib, the scanner showed a 33% partial response of target lesions. We also review the literature and describe the characteristics, treatment, and outcome of all cases previously reported

High-grade soft tissue sarcoma arising in a desmoid tumor: case report and review of the literature

International audienc

Solitary Fibrous Tumor of the Prostate: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT), usually described in the pleura, is exceedingly rare in the prostate. We report a 60-year-old man with prostatic SFT revealed by obstructive urinary symptoms, and detected by ultrasonography. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging suggested a prostatic origin. CT-guided tumor biopsy diagnosed a SFT. A cystoprostatectomy was performed. Pathologic examination showed a 15-cm tumor arising from the prostate and showing histological criteria suggestive of aggressiveness. The surgical resection margins were tumor-free. The patient was then regularly monitored and is still alive in complete remission, 28 months after surgery. In conclusion, we report a new exceptional case of prostatic SFT. We review the literature and discuss the challenging issues of misdiagnosis, prognosis and treatment

Primary Synovial Sarcoma of the Thyroid Gland: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Synovial sarcoma (SVS) of the thyroid gland is exceedingly rare. We report the case of a 55-year-old man with a rapidly growing 7-cm neck mass. Because of suspicion of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, a total thyroidectomy was planned, without preoperative cytology. During surgery, the tumor ruptured, leading to fragmented and incomplete resection. The morphological and immunohistochemical aspects suggested thyroid SVS, which was confirmed by fluorescent in situ hybridization (SYT gene rearrangement). The patient experienced immediate local relapse in close contact with large vessels and the thyroid cartilage and was referred to our institution. Doxorubicin-ifosfamide chemotherapy led to a minor response that authorized secondary conservative surgery. Because of microscopically incomplete resection, adjuvant radiotherapy was chosen and is ongoing 10 months after initial surgery. The prognosis of thyroid SVS is associated with a high risk for local and metastatic relapses. Pretreatment diagnosis is fundamental and may benefit from molecular analysis. Margin-free monobloc surgical excision is the best chance for cure, but adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy deserve to be discussed