C. STOUT AND F. BOHORQUEZ 
Table VII. — Taxonomic Classification and Prevalence of Arterial Lesions in Exotic Mammals 
851 
Number of Animals % of Aorta Containing Lesions 
With 
With 
Fatty 
Fibrous 
Order 
Common Name 
Scientific Name 
Total 
Lesions 
Atheroma 
Steaks 
Plaques 
Other 
Insectivora 
Brandt's hedgehog 
Paraechinus hypomelas 
1 
1 
1 
1 
European hedgehog 
Erinaceus europaeus 
1 
Edentata 
Nine-banded armadillo 
Dasypus novemcinctus 
3 
1 
tr 
Great anteater 
Myrmecophaga tridactyla 
2 
2 
1 
tr, 3 
Tamandua 
Tamandua tetradactyla 
2 
1 
1 
tr 
+ 
Two-toed sloth 
Choloepus didactylus 
2 
2 
tr, 1 
tr 
Rodentia 
Agouti 
Dasyprocta aguti 
1 
Squirrel 
Citellus sp. 
3 
Cloud rat 
Phloeomys pallidus 
1 
American porcupine 
Erethizon dorsatum 
3 
T'l'pp nni*piiniTip 
3 
Capybara 
Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris 
5 
4 
tr, tr 
tr, tr, tr, 1 
Patagonian cavy 
Dolichotis patagonum 
2 
2 
tr 
( + > 
Marsupialia 
Kangaroo 
Macropus kanguru 
1 
Macropus robustus 
7 
1 
+ 
Hyracoidea 
Rock hyrax 
Procavia capensis 
3 
Tubulidentata 
Aardvark 
Orycteropus afer 
2 
2 
1 
2, 10 
1. 1 
TOTALS 
42 
16 
4 
11 
8 
3 
% 
38% 
10% 
26% 
19% 
7% 
4- = Medial degeneration and/or calcification; ( + ) = with aneurysms 
tr = Trace 
tion of whether or not hpid accumulation was 
responsible for the necrosis or vice versa could 
not be resolved. However, in the atherosclerotic 
plaques in giant anteaters (Myrmecophaga 
tridactyla) and aardvarks (OrycteroptLs axer), 
central necrosis appeared to precede lipid accu- 
mulation. 
The most striking feature in this survey of 
arteriosclerosis in mammals and birds was the 
lack of mural thrombi. Even in the individuals 
with multiple saccular aneurysms of the aorta, 
no mural thrombi were found. This is in 
marked contrast to the human situation, in 
which an aneurysm without a mural thrombus 
is a rarity. The paucity of mural thrombi in 
mammals and birds probably accounts for the 
fact that no ischemic lesions were seen in the 
present study, even in the presence of some 
rather large atherosclerotic plaques. 
OTHER CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES 
Pre-Eclampsia 
According to a recent review by Craig,^^ and 
a monograph by Douglas,^^ a spontaneous or 
experimental animal model of human pre- 
eclampsia has not yet been identified. We were 
therefore excited by the finding of glomerular 
capillary endothelial swelling, the pathogno- 
monic renal lesion of pre-eclampsia in humans, 
in a 9-year old pregnant chimpanzee. The ani- 
mel was a primigravida, and died during anes- 
thesia in the eighth month of gestation. The 
anesthetic was given in order to treat ringworm 
lesions of the scalp which had been bleeding ex- 
cessively for several days due to constant 
scratching. The animal had been somewhat le- 
thargic and the ankles had appeared swollen for 
2 to 3 weeks prior to death. At autopsy, the he- 
matocrit value was 17 vol.%, which was con- 
sistent with the observed blood loss. The retro- 
peritoneal and mediastinal soft tissues were 
edematous, and the kidneys appeared enlarged 
and pale. Microscopically the glomeruli were en- 
larged and bloodless. The walls of nearly all of 
the glomerular capillary loops showed marked 
thickening, with subsequent luminal narrowing. 
P.A.S. stains revealed that the capillary base- 
ment membranes were normal, and that the 
thickening was almost entirely due to vacuolic 
swelling of the cytoplasm of the endothelial 
cells (Figure 16). Hyaline droplets were pres- 
ent in the cytoplasm of a few of the endothelial 
and epithelial cells. There was no evidence of 
glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis or any other 
renal disease. Examination of the remaining or- 
gans, including the placenta, disclosed no addi- 
tional pertinent findings.^'^ 
