EVALUATION OF DIAGNOSTIC COELIOSCOPY INCLUDING LIVER AND KIDNEY BIOPSY IN FRESHWATER TURTLES (TRACHEMYS SCRIPTA).

The article focuses on the use of diagnostic coelioscopy as an effective endoscopic technique for the examination of coelomic viscera and for liver and kidney biopsy in freshwater turtles. According to the authors, endoscopy has been used to examine gastrointestinal tracts and coeloms of chelonians, remove foreign bodies, and enable the collection of tissue samples for laboratory tests. Details related to the methods employed to evaluate the ability of the endoscopic technique to visualize visceral structures are also presented. Based on the study, it is inferred that by using a 2.7-millimeter rigid endoscopy system, the procedures of coelioscopy and liver and kidney biopsy could be performed safely and the specimens collected could also be used for histologic examinations.