ABSTRACT
Nasal masses in the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) are not uncommon and can be challenging to diagnose and treat. Differential diagnoses for nasal masses in the koala are cryptococcal granulomas, nasal polyps, nasal adenocarcinoma, and osteochondromatosis. This report describes successful surgical approaches for two adult koalas with nasal masses and includes photodocumentation and description of the anatomy of the koala nasal passages from the postmortem transverse sectioning of a normal koala head. Surgical removal of the nasal masses in these koalas resulted in a rapid resolution of clinical signs.
Subject(s)
Cryptococcosis/veterinary , Granuloma/veterinary , Nose Neoplasms/veterinary , Phascolarctidae , Amphotericin B/therapeutic use , Animals , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Antifungal Agents/therapeutic use , Cryptococcosis/surgery , Cryptococcus/isolation & purification , Female , Granuloma/surgery , Itraconazole/therapeutic use , Male , Nose Neoplasms/surgery , Skull/anatomy & histologyABSTRACT
A 3-yr-old female koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) was diagnosed with a nasal sinus granuloma caused by Cryptococcus gattii after a pre-shipment examination revealed a latex cryptococcal agglutination titer of 1:512. Successful medical and surgical treatment of the granuloma was monitored using serial latex cryptococcal agglutination titers, serum levels of antifungal drugs, and advanced imaging.
