Medical and surgical management of reproductive neoplasia in two western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)

Background Reports of female reproductive tract neoplasia are infrequent in great apes. Methods Two captive-born, female western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) housed at the North Carolina Zoological Park were diagnosed with reproductive neoplasia. Results The first gorilla had uterine endometrial thickening and uterine fibroids diagnosed during a routine annual examination. Subsequently, the animal underwent several uterine curettage procedures in an attempt to debulk the uterine mass. Biopsy results indicated uterine adenocarcinoma. The animal was treated with an ovariohysterectomy followed by a combination of megestrol acetate and medroxyprogesterone acetate. The second gorilla was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the vagina, cervix, and uterus after presenting for intermittent vaginal bleeding of 1-month duration. This animal underwent palliative radiation therapy, receiving two rounds of radiation treatment 8 weeks apart. Conclusions The following report describes the diagnosis and management of the two cases.