{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]],"date-time":"2026-08-20T16:23:40Z","timestamp":1787243020815,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,7,19]],"date-time":"2023-07-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1689724800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Veterinary Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Melanocytic skin tumours have been rarely described in pet rabbits, and exposure to UV light in sparsely haired areas has been hypothesised to play a cancerogenic role. Here, we describe a case of cutaneous malignant melanoma arising from the skin of the scrotum in an 8-year-old male wild rabbit, with testicular metastases as an unusual metastatic site for melanoma reported in humans to date. The tumour was nearly 5 cm in size, firm, and highly pigmented, with multifocal superficial ulcerations and large areas of intratumoural necrosis. The adjacent testis was 1.5 cm, multinodular, and black, obscuring tissue morphology. Histologically, the dermis was expanded by an infiltrative, densely cellular neoplasm composed of nests and sheets of polygonal to spindle neoplastic melanocytes, supported by scant fibrovascular stroma. Neoplastic cells showed intermediate N\/C ratio, moderate basophilic cytoplasm, often obscured by abundant brownish granular pigment, and eccentric nuclei with prominent nucleoli. Cellular pleomorphism and nuclear atypia were severe, and high mitotic activity was observed. Diffuse dermal lymphovascular invasion was also observed. The testis was delimited by a thin tunica albuginea, and the parenchyma was largely obscured in its morphology by densely packed neoplastic cells. Seminiferous tubules, lined with a thin basement membrane and containing neoplastic and scattered spermatogenic cells, were occasionally observed. Neoplastic cells within the skin and the testis were positive for HMB-45, Melan-A, and S-100. The growing popularity of rabbits as pets allows for a greater ability to accumulate data on the spontaneous occurrence of tumours in these animals. Furthermore, descriptions of the biological aspects of spontaneously occurring tumours may serve to improve current knowledge in animal species and humans in which the same neoplasm may occur.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/vetsci10070471","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,7,19]],"date-time":"2023-07-19T00:54:01Z","timestamp":1689728041000},"page":"471","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma with Testicular Metastases in a Wild Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4532-9697","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jessica Maria","family":"Abbate","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Polo Universitario Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Simone","family":"Palazzolo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University School for Advanced Studies IUSS Pavia, Piazza della Vittoria, 27100 Pavia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Antonio","family":"Ieni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Human Pathology of Adult and Evolutive Age \u201cGaetano Barresi\u201d, Section of Pathology, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giuseppe Santi","family":"Rapisarda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Prevention, Provincial Health Authority of Catania, 95030 Catania, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3436-2814","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giovanni","family":"Lanteri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Polo Universitario Papardo, 98166 Messina, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,7,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"890","DOI":"10.1177\/03009858211002190","article-title":"Not just Uterine Adenocarcinoma-neoplastic and non-neoplastic masses in Domestic Pet rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculi): A Review","volume":"58","author":"Baum","year":"2021","journal-title":"Vet. Pathol."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"901","DOI":"10.1177\/0300985820973460","article-title":"Neoplasia and Tumor-Like Lesions in Pet Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus): A Retrospective Analysis of Cases between 1995 and 2019","volume":"58","author":"Bertram","year":"2021","journal-title":"Vet. Pathol."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"579","DOI":"10.1354\/vp.44-5-579","article-title":"Cutaneous Neoplasms in Pet Rabbits: A Retrospective Study","volume":"44","author":"Goldschmidt","year":"2007","journal-title":"Vet. Pathol."},{"key":"ref_4","unstructured":"Weisbroth, S.H., Flatt, R.E., and Kraus, A.L. (1974). The Biology of the Laboratory Rabbit, Academic Press."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Barthold, S.W., Griffey, S.M., and Percy, D.H. (2016). Pathology of Laboratory Rodents and Rabbits, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.. [2nd ed.]. Chapter 6.","DOI":"10.1002\/9781118924051"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"399","DOI":"10.4049\/jimmunol.130.1.399","article-title":"Malignant rabbit fibroma virus causes secondary immunosuppression in rabbits","volume":"130","author":"Strayer","year":"1983","journal-title":"J. Immunol."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"900","DOI":"10.1177\/104063870902100626","article-title":"A case of interscapular fibrosarcoma in a dwarf rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)","volume":"21","author":"Petterino","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Vet. Diagn. Investig."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"156","DOI":"10.1111\/jsap.13082","article-title":"Spontaneous oral tumours in 18 rabbits (2005\u20132015)","volume":"62","author":"Miwa","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Small Anim. Pract."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4","DOI":"10.1002\/path.5505","article-title":"Spontaneously occurring melanoma in animals and their relevance to human melanoma","volume":"252","author":"Brenn","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Pathol."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"973","DOI":"10.1292\/jvms.18-0081","article-title":"Cutaneous malignant melanoma in two rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)","volume":"80","author":"Ueda","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Vet. Med. Sci."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"977","DOI":"10.1177\/0300985810369898","article-title":"Amelanotic melanoma in a New Zealand White Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)","volume":"47","author":"Zerfas","year":"2010","journal-title":"Vet. Pathol."},{"key":"ref_12","first-page":"574","article-title":"Rabbits","volume":"Volume 10","author":"Carpenter","year":"2023","journal-title":"Carpenter\u2019s Exotic Animal Formulary"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Smedley, R.C., Sebastian, K., and Kiupel, M. (2022). Diagnosis and Prognosis of Canine Melanocytic Neoplasms. Vet. Sci., 9.","DOI":"10.3390\/vetsci9040175"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"193","DOI":"10.1053\/j.jepm.2015.04.009","article-title":"Amelanotic Melanoma in the Rabbit: A case Report with an Overview of Immunohistochemical Characterization","volume":"24","author":"Blair","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Exot. Pet. Med."},{"key":"ref_15","first-page":"377","article-title":"Malignant melanoma in two rabbits","volume":"44","author":"Hotchkiss","year":"1994","journal-title":"Lab. Anim. Sci."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e9","DOI":"10.4081\/vsd.2011.3414","article-title":"Cutaneous melanomas in rabbits: Rare but often fatal","volume":"1","author":"Hammer","year":"2011","journal-title":"Vet. Sci. Dev."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Meuten, D.J. (2017). Tumors in Domestic Animals, John Wiley & Sons Inc.. [5th ed.].","DOI":"10.1002\/9781119181200"},{"key":"ref_18","first-page":"1229","article-title":"Scrotal tumors in dogs: A retrospective study of 676 cases (1986\u20132010)","volume":"55","author":"Trappler","year":"2014","journal-title":"Can. Vet. J."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1003","DOI":"10.1016\/S0022-5347(17)38969-3","article-title":"Metastatic cancer to the testes: A report of 20 cases and review of the literature","volume":"142","author":"Patel","year":"1989","journal-title":"J. Urol."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijscr.2015.05.026","article-title":"Malignant melanoma revealed by testicular metatasi","volume":"12","author":"Dusaud","year":"2015","journal-title":"Int. J. Surg. Case Rep."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"142","DOI":"10.1016\/S1166-7087(09)73361-5","article-title":"Histological features and principles of treating testicle tumors in the elderly subject","volume":"19","author":"Camparo","year":"2009","journal-title":"Prog. Urol."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"21","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2559.1979.tb02979.x","article-title":"Metastatic tumors in the testis","volume":"3","author":"Tiltman","year":"1979","journal-title":"Histopathology"},{"key":"ref_23","first-page":"420","article-title":"Bilateral testicular seminoma in a New Zealand white rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)","volume":"40","author":"Anderson","year":"1990","journal-title":"Lab. Anim. Sci."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"159","DOI":"10.1053\/j.jepm.2018.08.009","article-title":"Characterization of Testicular Granular Cell Tumors in Domestic Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)","volume":"29","author":"Webb","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Exot. Pet. Med."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"250","DOI":"10.4314\/ovj.v8i3.4","article-title":"Sertoli cell tumor in a pet rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus): Histological and immunohistochemical characterization","volume":"8","author":"Banco","year":"2018","journal-title":"Open Vet. J."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1028","DOI":"10.1177\/1040638711406975","article-title":"Testicular gonadoblastoma in two pet domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus domesticus)","volume":"23","author":"Suzuki","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Vet. Diagn. Invest."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"97","DOI":"10.5326\/JAAHA-MS-5683","article-title":"Thymomas in Rabbits: Clinical evaluations, diagnosis, and treatment","volume":"48","author":"Kunzel","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Am. Anim. Hosp. Assoc."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"175","DOI":"10.1016\/j.saep.2005.06.003","article-title":"Therapeutic Options of Thymoma in the Rabbit","volume":"14","author":"Morrisey","year":"2005","journal-title":"Semin. Avian Exot. Pet. Med."},{"key":"ref_29","unstructured":"Meredith, A., and Lord, B. (2014). BSAVA Manual of Rabbit Medicine, British Small Animal Veterinary Association."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"327","DOI":"10.1016\/j.nucmedbio.2009.12.002","article-title":"18F-FDG PET\/CT-related metabolic parameters and their value in early prediction of chemotherapy response in a VX2 tumor model","volume":"37","author":"Song","year":"2010","journal-title":"Nucl. Med. Biol."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"561","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cvex.2004.04.005","article-title":"Spontaneous neoplasms of lagomorphs","volume":"7","author":"Heatley","year":"2004","journal-title":"Vet. Clin. N. Am. Exot. Anim. Pract."}],"container-title":["Veterinary Sciences"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2306-7381\/10\/7\/471\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T20:14:29Z","timestamp":1760127269000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2306-7381\/10\/7\/471"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,7,19]]},"references-count":31,"journal-issue":{"issue":"7","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,7]]}},"alternative-id":["vetsci10070471"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/vetsci10070471","relation":{},"ISSN":["2306-7381"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2306-7381","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,7,19]]}}}