Abstract

A male green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) was found positively buoyant in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, rescued, and taken to Mote Marine Laboratory's Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital. The turtle exhibited signs of cachexia, lethargy, and obstipation. Dorsoventral radiographs with and without barium revealed a large intestinal foreign body predominately on the left side of the coelomic cavity. Three days after administration, the barium was still observed orad to the foreign body without any observable evidence of advancement. The animal was referred to the Zoological Medicine service at the University of Florida's College of Veterinary Medicine for further diagnostics. Whole body computed tomography (CT) revealed mechanical ileus secondary to a large intestinal foreign body or mass. The foreign body measured up to 9 cm in diameter and dorsally displaced the left lung lobe.

Under general anesthesia, a 5 cm longitudinal incision was made in the body wall cranial and ventral to the left hind limb. The dilated intestinal segment was easily identified and the caudal end retracted to the incision. The intestinal segment wall was sutured directly to the margins of the incision in the body wall to create a stoma (marsupialization). A 3.5 cm incision was then made into the intestinal segment revealing inspissated feces within the lumen. After approximately 0.8 kg of feces was removed, rigid endoscopic examination revealed an aborad blind pouch without a patent lumen to the rectum. Humane euthanasia was elected due to the grave prognosis. Gross pathological examination of the animal confirmed a complete colonic stricture, pre-stenotic colonic dilation, and acute, locally extensive fibrinous coelomitis.

Although the exact etiology of the colonic stricture was not determined in this case, intestinal strictures may accompany any chronic necrotizing enteric disease.¹ Interestingly, an intestinal leiomyoma was associated with a case of an intestinal volvulus and concurrent small intestinal stricture in a green sea turtle.² In porcine, enteric salmonellosis in conjunction with the species' increased susceptibility to ischemic rectal injury have been implicated as the cause of ulcerative proctitis and consequent rectal strictures.³ Histopathology did not provide any further information regarding the possible pathogenesis of the colonic stricture in this case; however, the findings are consistent with either a chronic colitis or partial colonic atresia with secondary inflammation and stricture.

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Dr. Ruth Francis-Floyd for her support and assistance in preparing this case report, Dr. William L. Castleman for his pathological examination of the animal, and the University of Florida Zoological Medicine service including veterinary student, Jason DeLapaz for the care of this animal during hospitalization at the University of Florida. The authors also thank the University of Florida Aquatic Animal Health program and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for financial support.

References

1.  Wilcock BP, Olander HS. The pathogenesis of porcine rectal stricture: I. The naturally occurring disease and its association with salmonellosis. Vet Pathol 1977; 14: 36–42.

2.  Helmick KE, Bennett RA, Ginn P, DiMarco N, Beaver DP, Dennis PM. Intestinal volvulus and stricture associated with a leiomyoma in a green turtle (Chelonia mydas). J Zoo Wildl Med 2000; 31: 221–227.

3.  Wilcock BP, Olander HS. The pathogenesis of porcine rectal stricture: II. Experimental salmonellosis and ischemic proctitis. Vet Pathol 1977; 14: 43–55.