A chance to learn about skin lymphoma appears in Issue 16:
 
 Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 03:44:55 -0000
 From: "Dr. Bruce Williams" <[log in to unmask]>
 Subject: Re: skin lymphoma?
 
Dear Michelle:
 
I would be happy to look at the skin tumor, if you want a second opinion.
Skin lymphoma is fairly rare in ferrets, and I suppose that I have
probably seen more than anyone else.
 
Skin lymphoma is unusual among the lymphomas of ferrets.  While lymphoma
generally carries a poor prognosis, with less than 10% responding to
treatment, and most of those only temporarily.  Cutaneous lymphoma is
different.  The progression is slow, and may take up to years.  Metastasis
is uncommon - most animals are euthanized due to loss of function,
especially when the feet are widely affected.
 
Early and surgical excision is skin lesions is associated with prolonged
remission.  If the neoplasm metastasizes to a lymph node, lymph node
excision is recommended.  Because of the fact that these tumors rarely
metastasize internally, we try by surgical excision to try to stay one
jump ahead of it.  If you have a previous diagnosis of cutaneous lymphoma,
excision of any new skin lesions or enlarged lymph nodes is very important.
 
In this case, I would recommend excision of the submandibular node as they
are rapidly growing, but I would probably not go after the armpit and knee
nodes, as these are often mildly enlarged in older ferrets not because of
an increase of lymphoid cells, but because older ferrets commonly lay down
fat around these nodes.
 
Submandibular lymph node enlargement may be an early sign of systemic
lymphoma, but are also the most common site of hyperplasia due to local
inflammation - they drain the oral cavity, one of the most common sites
of chronic inflammation in older ferrets.
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce H. Williams, DVM
 
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[Posted in FML issue 3343]