Sarcoplasmic masses in the skeletal muscle of a stranded pigmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps)

Abstract

We measured the abundance of sarcoplasmic masses within skeletal muscle myocytes of an adult female stranded pigmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps). The presence of these masses in other species has been reported in association with myopathies, including myotonic dystrophy, the most frequently related pathology. Other histopathologic muscle changes included a high number of internal nuclei, variations in fiber size and shape, and the predominance of type I fibers.