Rete ovarii cysts in two pet rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

A seven-year-old intact female rabbit was presented with anorexia and reduced faecal output. During the clinical examination, a firm mass was palpable in the middle to caudal abdomen, which was approximately 5 cm in diameter. Radiographs showed a homogeneous mass with soft tissue density. Ultrasonographic examination revealed a large, thin-walled cyst, filled with anechogenic fluid. During laparotomy, an ovarian cyst of the right ovary was diagnosed and the ovaries and the uterus were surgically removed. The pathology of a second female rabbit of unknown age with firm masses in the abdomen revealed a 4 x 3 x 2 cm-groBe ovarian cyst of the right ovary and a uterine adenocarcinoma, which had metastasised into a number of organs. In both cases, rete ovarii cysts were diagnosed histopathologically. Ovarian cysts are rarely described in female rabbits and should be taken into consideration as part of the differential diagnosis in older does with masses in the abdomen.