Treatment of cartilaginous hyperplasia in ball pythons

During a 3-year period (1992 to 1995), seven ball pythons (Python regius) w ere evaluated at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine T eaching Hospital with a presenting complaint of respiratory distress. Three of these patients were mature males with a history of intermittent dyspnea characterized by periods of open-mouth breathing. Radiodense space-occupyi ng masses were visible in the trachea of all three male pythons. In two of these pythons, cytologic evaluation of samples collected from the mucosal s urface of the trachea failed to demonstrate pathogenic organisms or abnorma l cells. Surgical removal of the affected area of trachea resulted in a ret urn to normal breathing with no postsurgical difficulty in swallowing prey. Histologically, the masses in the trachea were suggestive of cartilaginous hyperplasia.