comparison of urinary and accessory bladder approach during

COMPARISON OF URINARY AND ACCESSORY BLADDER APPROACH DURING
CLOACOSCOPY OF CHELONIANS
N. Di Girolamo, DMV,1* F. Spadola, DMV, PhD,2 P. Selleri, DMV, PhD,1 and Dr. G. Insacco3
1
Clinica per Animali Esotici, Centro Veterinario Specialistico, Via Sandro Giovannini 53,
Rome, Italy; 2Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria di Messina, Dipartimento di Scienze
Sperimentali e Biotecnologie Applicate, Polo Universitario SS. Annunziata I-98128, Messina,
Italy. 3Centro Regionale Recupero Fauna Selvatica e Tartarughe Marine - Fondo Siciliano
per la Natura e Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, via Generale Girlando 2, I-97013 Comiso
(RG), Italy
ABSTRACT
In addition to local disease evaluation,1 cloacoscopy may be used for sexing hatchling
chelonians and for the study of systemic disease by use of the transparency of the urinary and
the accessory bladder wall.2,3 The aim of this multi-structural study is to compare cystoscopy
and endoscopy of accessory bladders in chelonians.
Cystoscopies were performed on tortoises (Testudo spp.) and turtles (Emys orbicularis,
Trachemys spp., Graptemys spp., Pseudemys spp., Pelodiscus sinensis). Coelomic organs were
subsequently evaluated from the accessory bladders on turtles. Cystoscopy was performed
by use of a 2.7-mm, 30° viewing rigid endoscope inserted through the cloaca and directed
toward the urethral opening. Warm (30°C) lactated Ringer’s solution was infused to allow
distension of the urethral opening. Once the access to the urinary bladder was gained, the
endoscope was directed dorsolaterally until visualization of both gonads was achieved.
Following visualization of the gonads the other coelomic organs were inspected. The
smallest chelonians in which cystoscopy was successfully performed weighed 23.4 grams.
Testes and kidneys were quickly visualized by use of the accessory bladder approach. This
could be considered when endoscopy is employed to evaluate adult turtles in which
secondary sexual characters are not well defined. Our study confirmed that interposition
of the urinary and accessory bladder wall between the endoscope and the coelomic cavity
did not preclude the visualization of coelomic organs in any of the examined chelonians, with the
exception of few old individuals.
LITERATURE CITED
1. Coppoolse KJ, Zwart P. 1985. Cloacoscopy in reptiles. Vet Q, 7:243–245.
2. Selleri P, Giorgi T, Melidone R, Di Girolamo N, Rosapane I, Cocchia N. 2011. Minimally
invasive endoscopic sex determination technique in juvenile Marginated tortoises, Testudo
marginata. Proc ARAV, 148.
3. Spadola F, Insacco G. 2009. Endoscopy of cloaca in 51 Emys trinacris:
morphological and diagnostic study. Acta Herpetologica, 4(1):73-81.
2012 Proceedings Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians
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