RADIOLOGIC EVALUATION OF THE DIFFERENTIAL ABSORPTION 

 OF DIATRIZOATE IN MARINE TURTLES 



INTRODUCTION 



Since September 1977, the National Marine Fisheries Service 

 (U.S. Department of Commerce) has been raising hatchlings of the 

 Atlantic ridlev ( Lepidochelys kempi ) and loqqerhead (Caretta 

 caretta ) marine turtles at the Southeast Fisheries Center's 

 Galveston Laboratory. The hatchlinqs were raised to provide a 

 better understanding of the early life "of those animals, and to 

 engage in a headstart program as part of an overall project 

 attempting to help repopulate the Atlantic ridlev in nature. At 

 the time the rearing was started, the Atlantic ridlev had been 

 classified as an endangered species under the U.S. Endangered 

 Species Act of 1973. The loggerhead was later designated 

 "threatened," effective 6 Sept. 1978 (U.S. Dept. of the Interior, 

 1978a) . Both species of turtles have been listed in Appendix 1 

 to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of 

 Wild Fauna and Flora (U.S. Dept. of the Interior, 1978b). 



Of immediate concern was evaluation and treatment of various 

 diseases found in the above marine turtles, ranging from der- 

 matologic disorders, lung infections, bowel perforation, perito- 

 nitis, bacteremia, to emaciation. Radiologic examination was 

 employed as a research and diagnostic modalitv to investigate 

 these problems. 



At necropsy the kidnevs of some turtles were found to be 

 enlarged and edematous. Therefore, we reasoned that excretorv 

 urography might be of benefit in demonstrating abnormalities in 

 living turtles with suspected kidney disease. Excretory uro- 



