Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Ball python breathing trouble fixed by tracheal tumor surgery
By Diethelm, G et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·1996·Department of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Tracheal resection and anastomosis for an intratracheal chondroma in a ball python.
- Species:
- reptile
Plain-English summary
A 9-year-old female ball python was brought to the vet because she was lethargic and having trouble breathing. X-rays and an endoscopy showed a small mass blocking her airway. The vet performed surgery to remove the mass, which turned out to be a type of tumor called a chondroma. Five weeks after the surgery, the python was healing well, and there were no signs of the tumor coming back. Nine months later, she was still doing fine without any breathing problems.
People also search for: ball python breathing problems · python surgery for tumor · lethargy in ball python
Abstract
A 9-year-old female ball python was evaluated for lethargy and respiratory compromise. Radiographic and endoscopic examination revealed a 1-cm intratracheal mass occluding the tracheal lumen. A partial tracheal resection and anastomosis was performed to remove the mass. On histologic examination, the mass was determined to be an intratracheal chondroma. Eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusions observed within the tissue were calcium deposits. Electron microscopy was used to differentiate these from viral inclusion bodies often associated with neoplasms in reptiles. Endoscopic evaluation of the trachea 5 weeks after surgery revealed complete healing and minimal stenosis at the surgery site. Indications of tumor regrowth were not evident. Clinical signs of recurrence of respiratory compromise had not been observed 9 months after surgery.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8756880/