Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2026
Establishment and Characterization of Patient-Derived Xenograft Models of Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma and Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Published on: June 2, 2023
Squamous cell carcinoma in a tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus)
W D Roe1, M R Alley, S M Cooper
1Institute of Veterinary Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand. W.D.Roe@massey.ac.nz
Case History:
A mature male tuatara was presented with a history of recurrent cloacal prolapse.
Clinical And Pathological Findings:
The prolapsed tissue included a 12 mm diameter mass, which histologically showed cords and nodules of neoplastic epithelial cells.
Diagnosis:
The mass was diagnosed as a squamous cell carcinoma with ulceration of the overlying stratified squamous epithelium and diffuse inflammation of the surrounding dermis.
Clinical Relevance:
This case presented a rare opportunity to investigate squamous cell carcinoma in a long-lived lower vertebrate species. Future recurrence or metastasis of the mass may add useful information to the current base of knowledge of the behaviour of malignant neoplasms in reptiles.
