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Case report: A 7‐year‐old male diamond python (Morelia spilota spilota) presented with a 2‐month history of anorexia and a discrete intracoelomic mass, approximately 15 cm in length, located 90 cm from the head and approximately two‐thirds of the snout to vent length. Physical examination determined the mass was likely to be stomach, testes or the right kidney. Radiographs showed a soft tissue opacity mass in the region of the stomach; fine needle aspirate demonstrated cellular debris admixed with bacteria and degenerate heterophils. Exploratory coeliotomy revealed a gastric mass involving 90% of the length of the stomach, partially occluding the gastric lumen. A subtotal gastrectomy was performed; the neoplastic tissue was removed with 2 cm margins, leaving 1 cm of stomach wall and the pyloric sphincter caudally that was anastomosed to the oesophagus. Four large nematodes were found within the necrotic lumen of the mass tightly adhered to the gastric mucosa. Ascarid nematodes were identified morphologically and further confirmed by molecular diagnostics as Ophidascaris spp. Histopathological evaluation of the excised mass revealed a gastric adenocarcinoma. Postoperatively the snake suffered from gastrointestinal dysfunction and maldigestion and was managed with slurry feeding for month. Three months postoperatively the snake was gaining weight, eating without assistance and digesting whole prey, which was incrementally increased in size. Gastroscopy 6 months postoperatively revealed the presence of a functional stomach with a functional pyloric sphincter and 8.5 cm of gastric mucosa caudal to the anastomosis between the oesophagus and stomach. Conclusion: This is the first report of almost complete subtotal gastric resection in an Australian python, with evidence of compensatory gastric stretching resulting in a functional stomach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Case report A 5-year-old captive male diamond python ( Morelia spilota spilota) was presented with a 1-month history of regurgitation and anorexia and discrete coelomic distention. Physical examination revealed a firm, immobile mass at approximately two-thirds of the snout-vent length from the front of the head. Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspirate biopsy of the mass in the region of the stomach showed necrosis with bacterial infiltration and possibly neoplastic changes. A gastroscopy was conducted, but showed grossly normal gastric mucosa, confirmed by biopsy. On exploratory coeliotomy, it was confirmed the mass involved most of the stomach wall and occluded the gastric lumen. The mass was completely excised and based on histopathology, a diagnosis of gastric adenocarcinoma was made. The snake was found dead 12 h postoperatively, but no specific cause of death was found on postmortem examination. Conclusion Most cases of adenocarcinoma in snakes go undiagnosed. This case report illustrates that the architecture of gastric masses may lead to false-negative gastric biopsy results in snakes with neoplasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]