A 7.5-year-old captive born Savannah monitor, Varanus exanthematicus, presented with lethargy, anorexia, constipation, and narcolepsy-like behavior. Plasma biochemical analysis demonstrated mildly elevated liver enzymes, hypercalcemia, and hypoproteinemia. Coelomic ultrasound revealed multiple echolucent and rare echogenic round hepatic structures. Diagnostic coelioscopy was attempted but limited by anesthetic complications and varanid anatomy. Although it could not be confirmed during surgery, clinical signs and blood work supported hepatic disease. Because of progression and severity of clinical signs, the monitor was humanely euthanized. Further histopathologic evaluation revealed a pancreatic islet cell tumor with hepatic metastases and multifocal hepatic cholangiocarcinomas. Insulin immunoassay values were used post-mortem in this case and may be useful for diagnosis of insulinoma in reptiles. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of a reptile with functional islet cell neoplasia that demonstrated clinical illness and elevated insulin levels.

A 13-year-old male green tree monitor (Varanus prasinus) presented with lethargy and chronic weight loss. Complete blood count (CBC) revealed marked leukocytosis (total leukocyte count = 278.1 × 10³/μl) and peripheral blood films were characterized by marked lymphocytosis comprised of small, well-differentiated lymphocytes. Bone marrow aspiration revealed increased cellularity with a predominance of well-differentiated lymphocytes. Using immunocytochemistry, neoplastic lymphocytes in peripheral blood films were positive for CD3 epsilon and negative for CD79a and BLA.36, consistent with T-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Distal tail necrosis was noted 17 days post-presentation and treated with partial caudectomy. Treatment was initiated for CLL with 0.8 mg/kg prednisone q 48 h 22 days post-presentation. CBC on days 94 to 151 post-presentation showed marked reduction in leukocytosis (counts remaining below 40.0 × 10³/μL). The animal displayed improvement in activity, appetite, and gained weight during the initial treatment period. Marked leukocytosis (253.4 × 10³/μL) returned on day 203 post-presentation, and on day 206 post-presentation the monitor received 0.08 mg/kg chlorambucil PO once in addition to ongoing prednisone administration. The animal died 210 days post-presentation. Histopathologic examination revealed neoplastic lymphocyte infiltration in the bone marrow at multiple sites as well as in liver, spleen, gall bladder, pancreas, kidneys, esophagus, and the oral cavity. Lymphocyte infiltration in multiple organs was primarily associated with areas of dense lymphocytic infiltrates surrounding blood vessels. This report describes the first published attempt of CLL treatment in a saurian species.

The Texas tortoise (Gopherus berlanderi) is one of four native tortoise species found in North America. All four Gopherus species receive some form of government protection because of recent population declines. The Texas tortoise is considered threatened within the state of Texas and is of major conservation interest. As a result of human encroachment into Texas tortoise habitats, there has been an increase in the dissemination of infectious disease into native populations. One of the most important diseases studied in North American tortoises is Mycoplasma agassizii. Seroprevalence studies have been performed in the California desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) and Gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) but have yet to be performed in the Texas tortoise. The purpose of this study was to measure the seroprevalence of Mycoplasma agassizii using an ELISA in two populations of Texas tortoises, a wild population (N = 39) and a population in a wildlife rehabilitation facility (N = 15). Tortoises in the wild population were all seronegative (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0–7.6%), whereas 80% (12/15; 95% CI: 60–100) of the tortoises from the rehabilitation facility were seropositive. The results of this study suggest that Texas tortoises are exposed to and can mount an immunoglobulin response to Mycoplasma agassizii, which may influence the status of this species in North America. This pilot study suggests that further research is needed to determine the epidemiology of mycoplasmosis in Texas tortoises from the wild and in captivity.

Blood smears from European pond turtles, Emys orbicularis, and Mediterranean pond turtles, Mauremys leprosa, were evaluated to study their morphological and cytochemical properties. We performed morphological studies staining the smears with May-Grunwald-Giemsa and Quick panoptic. We studied cytochemical properties using stains for acid phosphatases, alkaline phosphatases, peroxidases, α-naphthyl acetate esterase, chloroacetate esterase, toluidine blue, and periodic acid-Schiff. We identified and described seven types of blood cells: erythrocytes, thrombocytes, basophils, eosinophils, heterophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes. Morphological and cytochemical properties of thrombocytes, lymphocytes, and monocytes were variable and inconsistent; therefore, these techniques were unable to characterize properly all blood cell types.

Green iguanas (Iguana iguana) have been documented to become aggressive during their breeding season and during the menstrual cycles of their human female caregivers. Because of their large size, these reptiles have the potential to inflict severe bite wounds. Identifying a method to control aggression in these animals is needed to minimize the likelihood of injury to their handlers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of mammalian leuprolide acetate on the testosterone levels of captive, intact male green iguanas. Eighteen adult male green iguanas were used for the study. Testosterone levels were determined via radioimmunoassay. Group 1, the control group, did not receive any mammalian leuprolide acetate, group 2 was administered a single dose of 0.2 mg/kg mammalian leuprolide acetate IM in the right forelimb, and group 3 received a single dose of 0.4 mg/kg mammalian leuprolide acetate IM in the right forelimb. Blood was collected for testosterone assays on day 0, before treatment, and days 1, 4, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35 post-treatment. There was a significant difference in the testosterone levels within subjects (all animals across groups) over time (P = 0.007); however, there was no significant difference in testosterone levels between the different treatment groups (P = 0.6). There were significant differences within subject testosterone levels (all animals across groups) between days 0 and 1 (P = 0.001), days 0 and 4 (P = 0.035), days 0 and 28 (P = 0.02), and days 0 and 35 (P = 0.04). In all four cases, testosterone levels were lower on day 0 compared to the other days. The results of this study suggest that mammalian leuprolide acetate, at these doses, does not significantly reduce testosterone levels in captive male green iguanas.