MTN 106:12 Fibropapillomatosis and Multiple Fibromas in a Green Turtle from the South Coast of Pernambuco State, Brazil

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Fibropapillomatosis and Multiple Fibromas in a Green Turtle from the South Coast of Pernambuco State, Brazil

Fábio Luiz da Cunha Brito, Frederico Celso Lyra Maia, Lucila Maria O. De França, Alessandra Ribeiro de Albuquerque, Rodrigo A.M. Santos, Maria Antonieta M. Cavalcanti & Elisângela S.G. Guimarăes
Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco(E-mail: flbrito@bol.com.br)

Studies on fibropapillomatosis are rare with respect to populations of marine turtles from Brazil, particularly from the northern half of the country (e.g. Matushima et al. 2000). Here we describe the occurrence of fibropapillomatosis and multiple fibromas in a green turtle (Chelonia mydas) recovered from the southern coast of Pernambuco state, northeastern Brazil.

The turtle, weighing approximately 35 kg was discovered at Cupe beach, Pernambuco state, Brazil. It was removed to our facility for examination and held in a tank of freshwater. It was disorientated, swimming in circles and lethargic. The turtle exhibited a large number of nodular growths on the body surface, the most notable included one mass on the neck measuring 10 x 6 x 3.5 cm and another on the left flipper, measuring 7 x 5 x 2 cm. On the head, another growth measured 7 x 5 x 1 cm, and obstructed its right field of vision completely, causing the animal to frequently bump into the side of the tank.

The animal appeared weak and disoriented, it did not feed and had difficulty breathing. Force feeding was carried out via gastric tube for 2 days. After 4 days under observation, the animal died and we performed a necropsy.

During the necropsy, we found a great quantity of bloody liquid, fibrin and clots in the coelomic cavity. A purulent inflammatory process was also visible. In the lungs, there were several firm, whitish nodes, the largest of which measured approximately 5 x 2.5 x 2.5 cm. In the stomach, close to the junction with the esophagus, a similar small node was observed. We also found a great quantity of trematode parasites in the intestines. Tissue samples from the growths and nodes were removed and fixed in buffered 10% formalin, processed, cut at 3-4 ľ and stained with hematoxilin-eosin. Histopathological examation of the tissue confirmed fibropapillomatosis: they had irregular digitiform projections comprised of connective tissue with superficial hyperqueratose and a thickened epithelial layer externally while some of the inner areas coating the epithelial cells showed a great quantity of keratinized tissue forming corneal pearls. In certain areas of the epithelium there was considerable cellular vacuolization, while in other areas cartilaginous metaplasia was noted. Histopathological exam showed the nodes in the lungs to be fibromas, with a proliferation of dense connective tissue.

These characteristics are similar to those reported by Herbst (1994), although in this case the symptoms may have been intensified due to peritonitis, possibly as a result of oviducal rupture. The warty or nodular formations of varied sizes observed in the head, neck and the flippers had macroscopic aspects compatible with those observed by Lu et al. (2000). With the exception of the corneal formation, their microscopic characters were similar to those described by Herbst et al. (1999).

Visceral tumors have been observed on about 80% of the turtles with cutaneous neoplasms (Herbst et al. 1999) although Aguirre et al. (1998) found 29% of these tumors in animals with fibropapillomatosis. Origgi and Jacobson (2000) argue that respiratory tract tumors are rare in chelonians, even though lung fibromas occur frequently on green turtles with fibropapillomatosis. Although this turtle is not the first to have been reported with fibropapillomatosis in Brazil, it is the first report in this species from the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. Increased vigilance and detailed investigation of stranded turtles will be needed to monitor the incidence of this disease complex in Brazilian sea turtles.

AGUIRRE, A.A., T.R. SPRAKER, G.H. BALAZS & B. ZIMMERMAN. 1998. Spirorchidiasis and fibropapillomatosis in green turtles from the Hawaiian Islands. Journal of Wildlife Disease. 34: 91-98.

HERBST, L.H. 1994. Fibropapillomatosis of marine turtles. Annual Review Fish Disease. 4: 389-425.

HERBST, L.H., E.R. JACOBSON, P.A. KLEIN, G.H. BALAZS, R. MORETTI, T. BROWN, & J.P. SUNDBERG. 1999. Comparative pathology and pathogenesis of spontaneous and experimentally induced fibropapillomas of green turtles (Chelonia mydas). Veterinary Pathology. 36:551-564.

LU, Y., A.A. AGUIRRE, T.M. WORK, G.H. BALAZS, V.R. NERURKAR, & R YANAGIHARA. 2000. Identification of a small, naked virus in tumor-like aggregates in cell lines derived from a green turtle, Chelonia mydas, with fibropapillomas. Journal of Virological Methods. 86:25-33.

Matushima, E.R., A.L. Filho, C. di Loretto, C.T. Kanamura, B. Gallo & C.M. Baptistotte. 2000. Cutaneous papillomas of green turtles: a morphological and immunohistochemical study in Brazilian specimens. In: H.J. Kalb & T.Wibbels (compilers) Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation. NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-SEFSC-443, pp. 237-239.

ORIGGI, F.C. & E.R. JACOBSON. 2000. Disease of the respiratory tract of chelonians. Veterinary Clinical North American Exotic Animal Practice. 3: 537-549.