Polycystic Kidney-like Disease in a Red-ear Slider Turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans)

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Pathology
• Reptile Medicine
• Developmental Biology

Background:

• Necropsy examination of a deceased 14-year-old red-ear slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans) was performed.
• The turtle had no prior history of clinical disease.

Observation:

• Gross examination revealed esophageal prolapse, bilateral renal cysts, and a paraduodenal cystic mass.
• Histological examination showed renal medullary cysts and atrophy resembling polycystic kidney disease (PKD).
• The paraduodenal mass contained cysts lined by ciliated epithelial cells with positive staining for insulin and glucagon via immunohistochemistry (IHC).

Findings:

• The renal lesions were consistent with a PKD-like disease.
• The paraduodenal cystic mass was diagnosed as a pancreatic cystic hamartoma, characterized by embryonal-like cells expressing pancreatic hormones.
• Immunohistochemistry for Wilm's tumour suppressor gene-1 (WT-1) showed non-specific cytoplasmic staining, and pancytokeratin expression was absent in both lesions.

Implications:

• This case contributes to the understanding of cystic diseases in reptiles, specifically highlighting a rare pancreatic hamartoma.
• The findings suggest potential parallels between reptilian and mammalian developmental processes and disease pathologies.
• Further research into the etiology and pathogenesis of such cystic lesions in chelonians is warranted.