Uterine adenomyosis in an orang‐utan (Pongo abelii/pygmaeus)

Graham Kj, K J Graham, F A Hulst, FA Hulst, L Vogelnest, Larry Vogelnest, I S Fraser, Fraser Is, CM Shilton, C M Shilton
Australian veterinary journal · 2009 · vol. 87(1-2) , pp. 66–69 · doi:10.1111/j.1751-0813.2008.00370.x · PMID:19178483 · W2057544396
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-09 ⓘ

This case report describes the diagnosis and surgical treatment of uterine adenomyosis in a 48-year-old female orang-utan presenting with heavy menstrual bleeding.

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Abstract

A 48-year-old, multiparous, female hybrid orang-utan (Pongo abelii/pygmaeus) was investigated after a 3-year history of irregular and excessively heavy menstrual bleeding. Opportunistic pelvic examinations over a 2.5-year period were non-diagnostic. Medical therapy was not effective. A subtotal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-ovariectomy was performed. A pedunculated mass spanning 90% of the uterine lumen was seen grossly, and histopathology confirmed uterine adenomyosis. Adenomyosis is defined as the ectopic occurrence or diffuse implantation of endometrial tissue, including glands and stroma, into the myometrium. It is common in older, usually premenopausal, multiparous women and is frequently associated with other uterine pathology, including endometrial hyperplasia and leiomyomas. The most common clinical signs are dysmenorrhoea and heavy menstrual bleeding; however, up to 35% of women are asymptomatic. Diagnosis is difficult and requires myometrial sampling and an experienced pathologist. A hysterectomy in this case was diagnostic and curative. There have been few reports of uterine adenomyosis in non-human primates and none reported in an orang-utan. Uterine adenomyosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis in any multiparous, aged, non-human female primate with irregular and excessively heavy menstrual bleeding, and hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-ovariectomy is recommended as a diagnostic and therapeutic solution.

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Condition tags

mesh:D004715adenomyosisdysmenorrhea

MeSH descriptors

Ape Diseases Endometriosis Pongo pygmaeus Uterine Diseases Animals Ape Diseases Ape Diseases Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Hysterectomy Hysterectomy Treatment Outcome Uterine Diseases Uterine Diseases Uterine Diseases Uterine Hemorrhage Uterine Hemorrhage Uterine Hemorrhage

Citation neighborhood

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. [ expand to 2 hops ] — adds papers reached through this work's immediate citers/citees. Heavier; up to 60 extra dots.

References (14)

Cited by (10)

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License: CC0 · commercial use OK