Mediastinal lymphoma in a badger (Meles meles).

A case of mediastinal lymphoma in a free-living, adult male European badger (Meles meles), from Trento Province (northern Italy) is described. A yellow-red mass delimited by a thick fibrous capsule completely occupied the anterior mediastinum. Based on the histologic and immunohistochemical findings, a diagnosis of mediastinal lymphocytic lymphoma was made. Documentation of neoplasms in free-living species is important for comparison with domestic animals and humans and may give insight into epidemiology of these diseases. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of a mediastinal lymphoma in a badger.