In Digest 40 see the problems encountered when looking at abdominal lymph nodes: While there is always the possibility of a lymphoma in this region, based on the location (a great way to get burned, making a diagnosis from the location), the top of my list is a hyperplastic lymph nodes. Which brings up a very important point about abdominal lymph nodes - they are commonly enlarged and hyperplastic in ferrets. Why? Because of the ubiquity of chronic inflammation in the GI tract of ferrets - Helicobacter infections in the stomach or previous infection with coronavirus (ECE), or both, most older ferrets have reactive, enlarged nodes in the abdomen. If you want to diagnose lymphoma in a ferret, the absolute worst tissue to send is a mesenteric lymph node - the reactive changes can be extremely severe and often confused with lymphoma. In some cases, the lymphoma is readily diagnosed, but in many others, it can be a confusing, confusing, thing. With kindest regards, Bruce H. Williams, DVM, DACVP Join the Ferret Health List at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ferret-Health-list [Posted in FML issue 3350]