Unilateral pseudobuphthalmos in an orientalrat snake (Ptyasmucosa) with oral squamous cell carcinoma
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Date
2021
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Abstract
A captive-bred 8year-old female oriental rat snake was presented for reduced appetite, swelling along the left eye persisting for a week and bleeding from the right nostril. On examination, the snake was found to be emaciated, severely dehydrated, and with a swollen left eye and an opaque left spectacle (Fig. 1 a). Direct pupillary light reflex (PLR) was normal on the right eye but negative on the left. The left eye was buphthalmic with neovascularization along the spectacle. Slit lamp biomicroscopic examination revealed diffuse bluish-white opacity of the left spectacle and distension of subspectacular space with clear fluid. Ocular ultrasonography [1, 2] confirmed pseudobuphthalmos. Axial length, depth of subspectacular space, anterior chamber depth, and lens thickness for affected left eye was 14.4 mm, 4.9 mm, 2 mm, and 1.5 mm, whereas for the right eye it was only 9.6 mm, 1.9 mm, 1.7 mm, and 1.7 mm, respectively (Fig. 1 b). Standard values for oriental rat snake were not available, hence ocular biometry values of the normal right eye were taken as the reference values in this case. About 0.4 mL of fluid was drained using a 24 G needle on tuberculin syringe, resulting in initiation of PLR. Enrofloxacin (5 mg/kg PO q24hr) and prednisolone (1 mg/kg PO q24hr) were administered for 1 week. Recurrence was noticed after 10 days and 0.2 mL of fluid was drained again. Examination of the oral cavity revealed a firm, roughly oval mass of about 1.0 cm to 1.50 cm dimensions, ulcerated at both poles, adjacent to the vomeronasal organ toward the mid-line of upper jaw (Fig. 1 c). The snake died within a week of the second examination. During necropsy …
Description
TNV_JEPM_2021_38(19)
Keywords
Veterinary Science