Spontaneous high-grade glial intramedullary tumor of the spine in a rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta)

Background A 4-year-old rhesus macaque presented with acute, progressive paresis of the extremities. Methods A complete blood count, serum biochemical analysis, neurologic exam and necropsy were performed. Results The clinical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical findings confirmed a high-grade intramedullary glial tumor of the spinal cord that was most consistent with an ependymoma. Conclusions We describe a case of a naturally occurring spontaneous spinal cord neoplasia in a non-human primate.