Proventricular adenocarcinoma in a Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) and a great horned owl (Bubo virginianus); identification of origin by mucin histochemistry

Cases of proventricular neoplasm in a Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) and a great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) were observed. Microscopically, the neoplastic cells formed branching tubules or acini in both cases. Galactose oxidase-Schiff (GOS) staining revealed that the cytoplasm of the normal surface epithelium and surface mucosubstances of the proventriculus adjacent to the neoplasm were positive in both cases. The neoplastic cells in both cases were also classified as GOS-positive. Therefore, the two proventricular neoplasms in this report were diagnosed as proventricular adenocarcinoma that arose from the proventricular surface epithelium. This study suggests that the mucosubstances, which the neoplastic cells produced, were a useful index for identifying the origin of the neoplastic cells in the birds.