Fibropapilloma Tumor

Photomicrograph of a cutaneous fibropapilloma tumor in a juvenile green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas, 40X magnification. Fibropapillomatosis is a herpesvirus-linked tumor syndrome that was first described in the 1930's in Florida's green sea turtles, has been associated with poor water quality, and continues to affect Florida's sea turtles today at relatively high rates. Shown here are histopathological hallmarks of this disease, including varying ratios of epidermal to dermal proliferation, papillary epidermal hyperplasia, ballooning degeneration of epithelial cells, and occasional intranuclear viral inclusions.