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Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension and Assessment of Right Ventricular Function in the Piglet
Published on: November 4, 2015
Ultrasonographic diagnosis of an endocarditis valvularis in a Burmese python (Python molurus bivittatus) with
Sandra Schroff1, Volker Schmidt, Ingmar Kiefer
1Clinic for Birds and Reptiles, University of Leipzig, An den Tierkliniken 17, 04103 Leipzig, Germany. schroff@vogelklinik.uni-leipzig.de
Abstract:
An 11-yr-old Burmese python (Python molurus bivittatus) was presented with a history of respiratory symptoms. Computed tomography and an endoscopic examination of the left lung were performed and revealed severe pneumonia. Microbiologic examination of a tracheal wash sample and an endoscopy-guided sample from the lung confirmed infection with Salmonella enterica ssp. IV, Enterobacter cloacae, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Computed tomographic examination demonstrated a hyperattenuated structure within the heart. Echocardiographic examination revealed a hyperechoic mass at the pulmonic valve as well as a dilated truncus pulmonalis. As therapy for pneumonia was ineffective, the snake was euthanized. Postmortem examination confirmed pneumonia and infective endocarditis of the pulmonic valve caused by septicemia with Salmonella enterica ssp. IV. Focal arteriosclerosis of the pulmonary trunk was also diagnosed. The case presented here demonstrates the possible connection between respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in snakes.
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