Clinical and histological findings of cutaneous wound healing in the red‐eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans) housed in unheated outdoor enclosures

Abstract

Second intention wound healing progressed slowly and with an indolent behaviour. Microscopically there was marked overlapping of the inflammatory and proliferative phases over a long time period.

Effects of topical insulin on second-intention wound healing in the red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans) – a controlled study

“…In a previous study we found that cutaneous second-intention wound healing in healthy turtles ( Trachemys scripta elegans ), exposed to daily variations in ambient temperature and with free access to water, progresses slowly and with an indolent behaviour [10]. Under the same experimental conditions topical insulin significantly modified the inflammatory response and improved second-intention wound healing of skin in turtles.…”

“…Wound contraction is a major component of second-intention wound healing and the pivotal feature for contraction is granulation tissue formation and remodelling [7, 8, 28]. As has been described in snakes [6], turtles form a persistent dried crust over the wound bed and healing is characterized by epithelialization under the crust which decreases in thickness as the dermis fills the skin defect, meanwhile contraction is very limited [10]. Thus, the significantly higher wound contraction at day 28 in the insulin-treated wounds is a remarkable finding that could be explained by the ability of topical insulin to modulate the inflammatory response increasing macrophage infiltration, granulation tissue and collagen deposition in turtles as has been described in mammals [16, 30].…”

“…This finding was in agreement with our previous study describing normal skin wound healing in the same turtle species. Although the epidermis and pigmentation of the healed area was indistinguishable from non-damaged skin, variable degrees of fibrosis were still present in the restored dermis after 135 days post-wounding [10]. In other reptiles such as common garter snakes, skin wounds also form scar tissue and scale regeneration is incomplete [6], as has been reported in a more recent research on the regeneration of scales in tail and body skin of lizards [41].…”

“…Chronic or severe skin wounds, resulting in damage of both parenchyma cell and stromal framework of the tissue, require second-intention wound healing which is defined as a healing process by deposition of collagen and other extra cellular matrix causing formation of a scar [7–9]. In reptiles, skin healing is characterized by reduced wound contraction [3, 6, 10], which further compromises wound healing in these species. In consequence, there is a need for practical treatments to increase skin wound contraction and improve overall wound healing in reptiles.…”

Aerobes Keimspektrum und Resistenzlage bei Hautläsionen von Reptilien

“…Auch iatrogene Schädigungen sind möglich, beispielsweise infolge einer Hypervitaminose durch eine Injektion von Vitamin A bei Landschildkröten [13]. Da Reptilien im Vergleich zu Säugern über eine verzögerte Wundkontraktion und -heilung verfügen [14], kommt einer frühzeitigen effektiven Behandlung von Hautläsionen besondere Bedeutung zu.…”