Granulomatous meningoencephalitis and blindness associated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex infection in a senile female chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes)

J Med Primatol. 2024 Jun;53(3):e12700. doi: 10.1111/jmp.12700.

Abstract

A 40-year old female chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) developed hyporexia, weight loss, followed by progressive and complete blindness. Tomography demonstrated an intracranial mass in the rostroventral brain involving the optic chiasm, with a presumptive diagnosis of neoplasm. However, histopathology revealed a granulomatous meningoencephalitis, and tissue samples tested positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Keywords: blindness; encephalitis; meningitis; mycobacteriosis; tuberculosis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Ape Diseases* / diagnosis
  • Ape Diseases* / microbiology
  • Ape Diseases* / pathology
  • Blindness* / diagnosis
  • Blindness* / etiology
  • Blindness* / microbiology
  • Blindness* / veterinary
  • Female
  • Granuloma / diagnosis
  • Granuloma / microbiology
  • Granuloma / pathology
  • Granuloma / veterinary
  • Meningoencephalitis* / diagnosis
  • Meningoencephalitis* / microbiology
  • Meningoencephalitis* / veterinary
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis* / isolation & purification
  • Pan troglodytes*
  • Tuberculosis / complications
  • Tuberculosis / diagnosis
  • Tuberculosis / veterinary