Atherosclerosis Associated with Pericardial Effusion in a Central Bearded Dragon (Pogona Vitticeps)

Abstract

Abstract. Atherosclerosis is a common disease in pet birds, particularly in psittacines, and is frequently found when performing postmortem examinations on adult and old dogs, in which it is mainly associated with endocrine diseases, such as hypothyroidism and diabetes mellitus. However, atherosclerosis is poorly documented in reptiles and consequently poorly understood. In the current case report, atherosclerosis and pericardial effusion were diagnosed in a 2-year-old male central bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) based on ultrasound visualization, necropsy, and histologic examination.Key words: Atherosclerosis; bearded dragons; echocardiography; exotic pets; lizards; reptiles.A 0.4 kg, 2-year-old, male, captive-born central bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) was presented with a 3-week history of anorexia, extreme lethargy, and postural abnormality. The animal was purchased in a pet store and lived in isolation in a terrarium. Upon questioning, the owner described the general husbandry as adequate and appropriate in terms of ultraviolet B exposure, photoperiod, humidity, substrate, and temperature gradients. However, the animal's diet was unbalanced, consisting essentially of house crickets (Acheta domesticus), yellow mealworms (Tenebrio molitor), kingworm beetles (Zophobas morio), and greater wax moth larvae (Galleria mellonella). Vegetables, necessary for the omnivorous requirements of this species, were rarely if ever given.Physical examination revealed scoliosis, poor body condition, and lethargy. No additional abnormal findings were observed on physical examination. Auscultation revealed a normal heart rate (60 beats/min) and a regular cardiac rhythm. 25No biochemical abnormalities were noted except mild hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia (Table 1).5 Cardiomegaly was observed on survey thoracic radiographs (Fig. 1). 21 No lytic or proliferative osseous lesions were observed in association with the scoliosis. A 2-dimensional echocardiographic examination was performed in ventrodorsal recumbency using a ventral approach (Hochleitner C, Hochleitner M: 2004, Ultrasound in reptiles. Proceedings of the Association of Reptilian Amphibian Veterinarians, pp. 41-44. Naples, FL). a,3,8,15,17,19,20 The apical, transventricular, and subarterial short-axis sections of the heart revealed pericardial effusion, normal myocardium, and a 3 mm 3 4 mm mass located close to the aortic arches and the pulmonary trunk, surrounded by anechoic liquid (Fig. 2). A long-axis transarterial section revealed normal atrioventricular junctions.

Retraction note: A histopathological analysis of the epidemiology of coronary atherosclerosis: an autopsy study

“…An investigation by the Publisher found it to be one of a group of articles we have identified as showing evidence suggestive of attempts to subvert the peer review and publication system to inappropriately obtain or allocate authorship. This article showed evidence of plagiarism (most notably from the articles cited [2–7]) and authorship manipulation.…”

Pericardial effusion in a central bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps), with a technique for pericardiocentesis

“…There are few reports of cardiac disease in the literature for inland bearded dragons 1,3–5,9 . There have been two reports of aneurysm in the major vessels with the neck of bearded dragons 10,11 .…”

“…There are few reports of cardiac disease in the literature for inland bearded dragons. 1,[3][4][5]9 There have been two reports of aneurysm in the major vessels with the neck of bearded dragons. 10,11 There are three reports demonstrating pericardial effusion from aetiologies, including atherosclerosis, Encephalitozoon pogonae arteritis and an unknown aetiology found with concurrent arterial aneurysm.…”

“…1,2 One out of the three previous cases reported had a pericardiocentesis performed with a 5-day survival time, the others were diagnosed on postmortem examination. [3][4][5] As reptile veterinary medicine progresses, there is an increase in clients requesting gold standard care and treatment protocols for their herpetological pets. 6 This report discusses a possible medical treatment to be used in conjunction with pericardiocentesis in order to prevent the return of pericardial effusion and to maintain a quality of life for the patient.…”

Congestive heart failure in a veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus): A case report

“…New information dealing with the laboratory diagnosis, emerging infectious diseases and clinical techniques have recently been published on reptiles (Manire et al 2018;Divers and Stahl 2019;Jacobson and Garner 2021a;Jacobson and Garner 2021b), including several papers upon cardiac diseases and clinical cardiology in reptiles (Schilliger et al 2010a;Schilliger et al 2010b;Schilliger et al 2016).…”