Metastatic Cholangiocarcinoma in a Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps)

Abstract

A 6.5-year-old female bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) was presented with a swollen right pelvic limb. A tissue core biopsy from the swollen area was performed and a presumptive histopathological diagnosis of adenocarcinoma was made. This diagnosis was confirmed after limb amputation. Two months after amputation a sudden deterioration in the overall health of the patient occurred. Ultrasound examination of the coelomic cavity revealed hypoechoic lesions in the liver. The patient was euthanized and submitted for necropsy which revealed a severely enlarged liver with multiple coalescing yellowish nodules. Cholangiocarcinoma of the liver with metastases to the spleen, left mesovarium and right pelvic limb was diagnosed after histopathological examination.

Keywords

• histopathology
• necropsy
• neoplasia
• reptiles
• x-ray
• ultrasonography