Intracoelomic anaplastic sarcoma in an intersex Madagascar tree boa (Sanzinia madagascariensis)

Abstract

An adult Madagascar tree boa ( Sanzinia madagascariensis) underwent coeliotomy for investigation of a coelomic mass. At surgery, a large mass originating from the peri-pancreatic adipose tissue and involving the gall bladder was removed. The snake did not recover from general anesthesia. A complete postmortem was performed, and samples were submitted to the University of Glasgow for histopathology. On histological examination, the mass was composed of adipose tissue infiltrated with a poorly demarcated spindle cell neoplasm. The neoplastic cells were highly pleomorphic with abundant cytoplasm and frequent clear cytoplasmic vacuoles, suggestive of adipocyte origin. Immunohistochemical characterization of the mass was inconclusive. Metastatic neoplastic cells were present within vessels in the liver, lungs, and brain. As an incidental finding, the gonads contained both maturing ovarian follicles and seminiferous tubules with intact germinal epithelium and evidence of spermatogenesis, along with other features of male and female gonad anatomy. The current report describes a rare neoplasm in snakes within an intersex Madagascar tree boa.