Cerebral Xanthoma in a Long-nosed Snake (Rhinocheilus lecontei)

Xanthogranuloma and Hepatic Lipidosis in a Mexican Moccasin Snake (Agkistrodon bilineatus) with Hypercholesterolemia: A Case Report

“…This lesion is mainly located in the choroid plexus, lateral ventricles and the fourth ventricle [1,3,7,8]. Xanthogranuloma has been reported in humans, birds, reptiles, amphibians, dogs, cats and more frequently in horses, where it is mainly associated with aging and is usually a finding at necropsy [1,3,4,[6][7][8]. In humans and birds it is commonly a cutaneous disease, [8] in dogs and cats it has been described in middle ear (aural cholesteatoma) [4] and in reptiles it has been anecdotically reported (mostly described in lizards).…”

“…It is considered a consequence of foreign body response to the presence of crystallized cholesterol. This lesion is mainly located in the choroid plexus, lateral ventricles and the fourth ventricle [1,3,7,8]. Xanthogranuloma has been reported in humans, birds, reptiles, amphibians, dogs, cats and more frequently in horses, where it is mainly associated with aging and is usually a finding at necropsy [1,3,4,[6][7][8].…”

“…The snake was fed with pre killed mice. Clinical pathology tests were performed at the Clinical Pathology Laboratory at the FMVZ-UNAM, where chronic inflammation (heterophilia 3.4 × 10 [1,6,8] dehydrogenase (GLDH), of 30 U/L (RI unavailable) were found. Values were obtained for A. piscivorus, because the ones for A. bilineatus were not available [10].…”

“…In one of the other reported cases of cerebral CG in a snake, the plasma cholesterol and lipids were not determined, and the snake was reported as emaciated and with almost nonexistent fat bodies. Therefore [1] no direct correlation could be established between the CG and hyperlypidemia. Emaciation has also been described in geckos with CG [8].…”

“…Case reports and case series in reptiles have conclusively diagnosed xanthomatous lesions in several species of geckos, [6] water dragons, [8] but it has only been diagnosed in three different species of snakes, which include a Long-nosed snake (Rhinochelius lecontei), a Gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer sayi) and a Russian viper (Vipera lebetina turanica) [1,8]. In these snakes lesions were found in the lateral ventricles, skin, and spinal dura respectively.…”