Malignant Nephroblastoma in a Common Marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)

Abstract

Necropsy of a 17-month-old male common marmoset ( Callithrix jacchus) with a history of increased abdominal girth resulted in the finding of a unilateral polycystic renal neoplasm. Detailed histopathologic and immunohistochemical investigations revealed different tissue types within the tumor including stromal connective tissue and fusiform mesenchymal cell formations surrounding blastemal cells as well as different developmental stages of organ-specific epithelial cells accompanied by extensive cyst formation. Metastases were not observed. In consideration of the macroscopic, histologic, and immunohistochemical findings, the tumor was classified as a nephroblastoma closely resembling the so-called Wilms' tumor, a malignant embryonic renal tumor frequently observed in humans, especially in young children. In contrast, this tumor entity has rarely been observed in nonhuman primates. This report represents the first documented case of a cystic variant of nephroblastoma in a nonhuman primate.