ABSTRACT

A newborn male crested gecko (Rhacodactylus ciliatus) was presented for evaluation immediately after birth because of a bright red movable and pulsating mass emerging from the ventral midline of the rib cage. On physical exam the animal was extremely depressed, and the bright red thoracic mass reported by the owner was identified as a beating heart. The gecko died a short time after presentation and was submitted for a postmortem examination. Gross examination revealed that the entire heart and some adipose tissue were protruding through a 0.4 cm × 0.2 cm elliptical congenital cutaneous cleft located on the ventral aspect of the caudal rib cage. No other gross abnormalities were detected. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of ectopia cordis in a gecko.