Tokay Gecko Mass
J Herpe Med Surg 11[4]:42-43 Winter'01 Case Report 9 Refs

A 70 g, captive-bred, four-year-old, female Tokay gecko, Gekko gecko, was presented with a left cranial cervical mass. On physical examination a round, moderately firm, 2.5 cm, subcutaneous mass was found just caudal to the ramus of the left mandible, and an associated ipsilateral pharyngeal swelling was also noted. No eggs were palpable within the coelomic cavity, and no other abnormalities were noted. The lizard was manually restrained for venipuncture and aspiration of the mass. Aspiration of the mass with a 25 ga needle on a 3 cc syringe produced 2.5 ml of opaque white fluid that was submitted for examination by light microscopy. Evaluation of the aspirate smear revealed numerous birefringent truncated prismatic crystals with expressed surfaces (resembling long, thin prisms). The crystals were identified as calcium carbonate. No cells were identified on the smear. The mass was determined to be an endolymphatic organ based on anatomic location, crystal morphology, and measured calcium in the aspirate. Nine months after presentation, the patient died of bacterial pneumonia. Histopathology of the left endolymphatic duct showed dense mature fibrous connective tissue, and the right duct was unremarkable. The final morphologic diagnosis was left endolymphatic duct fibrosis and sac dilation.