odd chameleon lump

RE: odd chameleon lump

chris Jones — Tue, 20 Jun 2017 15:26:40 GMT

just found the lump that we removed a few months ago in formalin so currently trying to persuade them to send it off.

RE: odd chameleon lump

Marie Kubiak — Tue, 20 Jun 2017 14:09:18 GMT

Neoplasia is very common in captive chameleons so may be coincidental.

Papilloma virus triggers benign skin lumps but they appear irregular and tend to be on mucosal margins.

Marie

RE: odd chameleon lump

chris Jones — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 17:39:00 GMT

Thanks for that, as you say biopsy is the next thing. The odd thing is that we have two chameleons with almost identical masses. are there any possible viral causes or could it be a husbandry issue?

as you say its guesswork so biopsy is next.

thanks

chris

RE: odd chameleon lump

Marie Kubiak — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 17:26:44 GMT

As you say, biopsy is needed to make a diagnosis- everything else is just guesswork based on probabilities. As a single entity, the ulcerated mandibular mass would most likely be an abscess given the concurrent snout trauma. However, given the presence of other disseminated soft tissue masses neoplasia is more likely in this species. Multiple dermal neoplasms in chameleons is most frequently a syndrome of multifocal squamous cell carcinomas and carries a poor prognosis. Xanthophoromas and lymphoid tumours are also possible but much less common. Definitely worth pressing the owner to allow a biopsy (even a conscious FNA as a last resort).

Marie