Gout, a metabolic disease characterized by deposition of uric acid crystals in tissue, can affect reptiles, mammals and birds. We studied a postmortem case of this disease in a free-living owl (Tyto alba). The pericardium was covered a whitish thick layer adhered to the myocardium, and the liver and both kidneys showed whitish areas. The microscopic examination of the heart and hepatic tissue revealed fibrinous pericarditis and necrotizing perihepatitis. Diffuse and multifocal heterophilic inflammatory infiltrate in the renal parenchyma pulmonary congestion were also displayed. The changes found are consistent with those described in the literature for uric visceral gout in birds and may even be considered as pathognomonic lesions. This is the first report of visceral gout uric on a predator-free life in Brazil
Raptors; owl; Tyto alba; uric gout; crystals
