Abstract

An adult female Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) was found deceased along Resurrection Bay in Seward, Alaska. Field necropsy revealed an autolyzed fetus within the abdominal cavity with no umbilical cord or placenta found. Gross evidence suggestive of uterine rupture and lack of gross and histological evidence of abdominal placentation highly suggests a secondary abdominal ectopic pregnancy. Histopathology of the dam revealed diffuse fibrinosuppurative peritonitis, severe endometritis, and severe chronic myocardial calcification. The underlying etiology of the severe endometritis is unknown, but likely led to uterine rupture and the ectopic pregnancy. The myocardial calcification was consistent with dystrophic calcification. It is possible bacteria that spread from the peritonitis could have initiated this lesion. There was no evidence of associated heart failure. The diffuse, chronic, active peritonitis and presumed septicemia are most likely due to the autolyzed intraabdominal fetus and were likely the cause of death. To the authors’ best knowledge, this case represents the first documented case of a secondary abdominal ectopic pregnancy in a Steller sea lion and is the first report of myocardial calcification in a marine mammal in the literature.

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the veterinary team and staff involved in the Chiswell Project at the Alaska Sealife Center for their involvement in the necropsy and for the information they provided for the case.

*Presenting author
+Student presenter