Solitary Large Intestinal Diverticulitis in Leatherback Turtles (Dermochelys coriacea).

Leatherback sea turtles are globally distributed and endangered throughout their range. There are limited data available on disease in this species. Initial observations of solitary large intestinal diverticulitis in multiple leatherbacks led to a multi-institutional review of cases. Of 31 subadult and adult turtles for which complete records were available, all had a single exudate-filled diverticulum, as large as 9.0 cm in diameter, arising from the large intestine immediately distal to the ileocecal junction. All lesions were chronic and characterized by ongoing inflammation, numerous intralesional bacteria, marked attenuation of the muscularis, ulceration, and secondary mucosal changes. In three cases, Morganella morganii was isolated from lesions. Diverticulitis was unrelated to the cause of death in all cases, although risk of perforation and other complications are possible.

Duodenal gland cysts and pseudodiverticula in sheep.

Six cases of acquired duodenal diverticulitis (pseudodiverticula) were found in a flock of sheep over a short period of time. All the animals had duodenal lesions characterized by the presence of multiple saccular dilations filled with feed material. The mucosal surface was elevated by multiple small nodules that histologically corresponded to cystic dilatations of the duodenal glands, which likely caused the displacement, atrophy, and disappearance of the muscular layer, leading to pseudodiverticula. The gross appearance, microscopic findings, and epidemiological characteristics suggest that this is a different pathological process to that described for diverticula in animals to date.

Esophageal diverticulum associated with Aerococcus viridans infection in a loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta).

A juvenile loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) stranded in Gran Canaria, Spain was necropsied. The turtle was underweight, had sunken eyes, and small amounts of crude oil were in the oral cavity. The most significant lesion was a large esophageal diverticulum at the junction of the esophagus and stomach. The diverticulum was full of gas and green mucoid fluid and a diffuse thick yellow fibrinonecrotic membrane covered the mucosa. The lumen of the diverticulum also contained moderate numbers of cephalopods, crustaceans, and anthropogenic debris including crude oil balls, plastics, and fishing lines. Histologically there was a severe diffuse fibrinonecrotic esophagitis. Aerococcus viridans was isolated from the diverticulum. This is the first report of an esophageal diverticulum in a sea turtle. Although A. viridans is a known pathogen of lobsters and fishes, there are no reports of A. viridans infection in sea turtles.

Diverticulitis with rupture and fatal peritonitis in a Sumatran orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus).

A 30-year-old male Sumatran orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) presented with signs of depression, lethargy, anorexia, and diarrhea that progressed to acute colic. Exploratory laparotomy revealed fibrinopurulent peritonitis and 50 cm of devitalized small intestine. The surgically resected small intestine contained several mucosal diverticula along the mesenteric attachment; one had ruptured, resulting in peritonitis. Fifteen days after surgery, the orangutan's abdominal incision dehisced. Repeated laparotomy revealed dehiscence of the distal intestinal anastomosis site, as well as extensive adhesions and purulent exudate. The defect was repaired, and the abdomen was extensively irrigated and closed, but the animal died within 24 hours. To our knowledge, this is the first report of diverticulitis in a great ape. Diverticulosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis for great apes that present with signs of depression, lethargy, anorexia, and/or diarrhea.

Ablation of the cranial portion of the preputial cavity in a pig.

A technique for surgical ablation of the cranial portion of the preputial cavity including the preputial diverticulum in pigs is described. The technique was performed on a 5-month-old 83.2-kg (183-lb) Hampshire barrow that had ulceration and fibrosis of the preputial cavity secondary to chronic preputial diverticulitis. The pig recovered without difficulties and was able to urinate normally after surgery.