First Report of Massive Myocardial Calcifications in a Vervet Monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus)

A 13-years-old male vervet monkey that was kept in a primates breeding and research facility at Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Karaj, Iran (RVSRI) died suddenly. Massively scattered grayish-yellow mottling on both ventricles were the most significant gross necropsy findings. There was a gritty feeling on palpation and sectioning of the yellow areas. Microscopically, the lesions demonstrated scattered degeneration and necrosis of myocardial cells. Inside the affected areas, large calcium deposit plaques were detected using the Von kossa staining method. The development of myocardial calcification in the present case can be attributed to the dystrophic calcification following spontaneous myocardial necrosis or an undetected infection/inflammatory process. Persistent anxiety might trigger spontaneous biventricular necrosis in vervet monkeys. In conclusion, due to similarities between the clinical and histological presentation of the current case with sudden death syndrome associated with myocardial calcification in humans, it was suggested that vervet monkeys might be a relevant animal model for research on the pathophysiological processes of this complication.