Osteonecrosis in pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus)

Abstract

Bone lesions, particularly osteonecrosis, have been rarely described in cetaceans, with limited studies correlating imaging, gross and microscopic findings. Aseptic osteonecrosis is especially relevant as a chronic form of decompression sickness, well-documented in human divers but controversially reported in cetaceans. This study examined the humeral heads of five stranded short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) using computed tomography (CT) and plastic embedding histologic techniques. Three specimens exhibited CT-detectable lesions, while two did not. CT imaging revealed distinct bone lesion patterns in three animals, including one case with a hypoattenuated triangular lesion constitutes histologically by well reorganized bone tissue. This lesion is highly consistent with aseptic dysbaric osteonecrosis (DON). Circular, focal, hyperattenuated necrotic bone areas most likely related to septic lesions were detected in two affected pilot whales. The two unaffected humoral heads exhibited normal bone histology, reinforcing the pathological significance of the osteonecrotic lesions of the three affected animals. As this was a retrospective study on fixed samples, microbiological analysis was not possible. Although not conclusive, this study provides the first histological evidence of chronic humeral head lesions in cetaceans consistent with DON, underscoring the need for further research using CT imaging, histology, and microbiology.