PMC6692872_01
Presence of a lithopedion in a wild European rabbit. (A) A firm mass with a smooth surface is present in the abdomen of a female rabbit (white arrow). Asterisk denotes fetus in right uterine horn; arrowhead indicates left ovary. (B) A thin fibrovascular band (purple arrow) connects the lithopedion to the left uterine horn, which is distorted as a result. Arrowhead indicates left ovary. (C) On cut surface the lithopedion contains fetal remnants including skin, hair, bone, and hard palate (partially fixed tissue).
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F1
The mass had average dimensions 40 x 35 x 30 mm and had thin, tough, translucent adhesions to the left abdominal wall and the left uterine horn, the latter adhesion exhibiting evidence of vascularity, and the tension of the adhesion causing distortion of the left uterine horn (Figures 1A,B). On cut section, the mass was dry and multifocally gritty, but contained clearly discernable fetal remnants, including skin, hair, hard palate, and bone surrounded by lamellated fibrous tissue and fetal membranes (Figure 1C).
PMC6692872_02
Impaired postnatal mammary development, consistent with physiologic agalactia, in a wild European rabbit with an abdominal pregnancy. (A,C) Mammary tissue from a doe with fetuses of a similar gestational age to the affected doe exhibits extensive alveolar development, and large amounts of eosinophilic proteinaceous material within mammary alveoli and ducts (asterisk). Arrow indicates artifactual separation of skin from underlying mammary tissue. (B,D) Mammary tissue from a female rabbit with an abdominal pregnancy exhibits alveoli with reduced diameter and lacking secretion, and small, largely empty ducts (asterisks). Some ducts contain small clusters of macrophages (arrowhead). Haematoxylin and eosin stain. Scale bars indicate 800 microns (A,B) and 80 microns (C,D).
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F2
The lack of mammary development was particularly pronounced when compared with mammary tissue from another female carrying a litter of similarly developed fetuses (crown-rump length median: 51 cm; mean: 50 cm; n = 8; Figure 2).