THE SEA OTTER IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN 277 



versity of Washington and Chief, Laboratory Service, Veterans 

 Administration Hospital, Seattle, examined the specimen material 

 and gave the following information : 



Gross examination: Specimen as received, fixed in formalin, consists of a 

 spleen, stomach, duodenum and what appears to be the greater portion of the 

 small intestine with its mesentery. Tissue preservation appears to be good. 



The spleen is firm and rubbery with a roughened, granular capsule which 

 is gray-blue in color. It weighs approximately 60 g. and measures 14.0 X 

 6.5 X 2.0 cm. in its greatest dimensions. On section it is homogeneous 

 throughout with no focal areas of gross change. 



The stomach appears to have a wall of normal thickness. Within the lumen 

 there is a little green pulpy material but no suggestion of old or recent 

 bleeding. The mucosa seems well preserved. The pyloris and duodenum appear 

 normal. 



Throughout the small intestine the bowel wall and the adjacent mesentery 

 are irregularly thickened with firm, gray tissue which appears neoplastic 

 [new and abnormal growth] . The bulk of this is in the distal end of the bowel 

 apparently near the cecum. The gray tumorlike tissue infiltrates and thickens 

 the bowel wall in some areas and extends out into the mesentery which is also 

 thickened and gray. Toward the distal end, the mesentery contains a large 

 coarsely nodular mass (8.0 X 6.0 X 4,0 cm.) which on section is solid and 

 gray. 



Small solid gray masses scattered through the mesentery are apparently 

 other involved lymph nodes. 



Sections for microscopic study are taken as follows: Spleen, stomach, 

 bowel wall, lymph nodes and mesenteric mass. 



Microscopic: Sections of spleen are quite well preserved. No abnormalities 

 are recognized. 



A portion of pancreas is included and it too does not seem remarkable. 



Sections of enlarged lymph nodes show focal areas of apparent neoplastic 

 invasion. The tumor here is partially replacing the nodal substance and is 

 similar to that described below. 



M. C. Keyes, D.V.M., who examined Dr. Brown's histological 

 preparations, considers that the condition described may be diag- 

 nosed as leiomyoma or a leiomyosarcoma. 



Paw infections 



Several otters with infected forepaws were captured on Am- 

 chitka beaches. It appeared that puncture wounds, perhaps made 

 by sea urchin spines, caused the infections. In captivity, infections 

 developed in all extremities. In at least three cases infections 

 occurred in puncture wounds or cuts originating on sharp ends 

 of hardware cloth, used on the enclosure. Repeated doses of anti- 

 biotics successfully cured these infections in some animals. 



