title: Proliferative thyroid lesions in three diplodactylid geckos: Nephrurus amyae, Nephrurus levis, and Oedura marmorata.
abstract: Over a 5-mo period, three diplodactylid geckos housed at the National Aquarium were diagnosed with proliferative thyroid lesions: a rough knob-tail gecko (Nephrurus amyae), a smooth knob-tail gecko (Nephrurus levis), and a marbled velvet gecko (Oedura marmorata). Clinical signs included an intraoral mass or ventral throat swelling (or both), oral bleeding, and weight loss. Both of the knob-tail geckos died. The histologic diagnosis for the rough knob-tail gecko was thyroid carcinoma with metastases to the liver and lungs, and thyroid carcinoma with no metastases was reported in the smooth knob-tail gecko. A thyroidectomy was performed on the marbled velvet gecko with a histologic diagnosis of adenomatous hyperplasia. Postoperative weight loss and bradycardia resolved following oral supplementation with levothyroxine. The animal is in normal health 10 mo post-surgery. Five other diplodactylid geckos in the collection remain unaffected, giving a 38% prevalence of proliferative thyroid lesions (3/8). The etiology remains undetermined. This is the first report of a cluster of proliferative thyroid lesions in geckos.
authors.affiliation: National Aquarium, 501 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202, USA. khadfield@aqua.org
authors.forename: Catherine A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Hadfield
authors.forename: Leigh A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Clayton
authors.forename: Meredith M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Clancy
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Mangus
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Montali
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006965:Hyperplasia / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary; D008116:Lizards; D008297:Male; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000473:pathology; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D013974:Thyroxine