Ovariosalpingectomy and extraction of retained eggs in a California king snake

Abstract

Kim, a 16 year old female intact California King Snake, presented to Cornell on November 17, 2006 for a distended abdomen of one month duration. Radiographs were performed and revealed multiple poorly defined soft tissue opacities in the caudal 1/3 of her coelomic cavity. Differentials for a caudal coelomic mass included retained eggs, neoplasia, cyst, abscess, granuloma, hematoma and foreign body/impaction. Two weeks later, coelomic ultrasound was performed and was suggestive of necrotic retained eggs but fine needle aspiration of the masses were non-diagnostic, revealing only hemorrhage and inflammation with no egg material, neoplastic cells nor microorganisms detected. Husbandry changes were made at home in order to reduce Kim's stress and provide an adequate environment in which to lay her suspected retained eggs. After six months of non-productive, yet otherwise normal, behavior, Kim began to lose weight and have difficulty moving ingesta through her GI tract. She was returned to Cornell for surgical an exploratory celiotomy and mass removal. Celiotomy revealed 4 masses associated with the oviduct. Ovariosalpingectomy was performed to remove the masses and histopathology revealed the masses to be necrotic retained eggs.