Lumps on the skin are among the commonest reasons a dog sees a veterinarian, and the same-looking nodule can be a harmless fatty mass, a self-resolving histiocytoma or a mast cell tumor that needs wide surgery. This guide covers the four groups the NAVLE returns to most: cutaneous mast cell tumors, lipomas, squamous cell carcinoma and histiocytic tumors. The common thread is simple: aspirate every mass before you cut, because the cytology decides the operation.
Key facts
Skin tumors (cutaneous mast cell tumor, lipoma, squamous cell carcinoma, histiocytic sarcoma, etc.) at a glance- Species and system: dog; integumentary system (skin and subcutis).
- Mast cell tumor (MCT): the most common malignant skin tumor of dogs; behaviour ranges from cured by surgery to fatal; histamine release causes Darier's sign and gastroduodenal ulcers.
- Lipoma: benign tumor of mature fat in older, heavier dogs; the infiltrative variant invades muscle and fascia.
- Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC): sun-induced on white, thin-haired ventral skin; a separate subungual form attacks the third phalanx of dark-coated large breeds.
- Histiocytic tumors: histiocytoma ("button tumor" of young dogs, regresses on its own) at one end, histiocytic sarcoma (Bernese Mountain Dogs, Flat-coated Retrievers) at the other.
- Not zoonotic and not reportable.
What's inside
12 sections in the full guide- Key facts
- How the NAVLE tests this
- Cause and pathophysiology
- Clinical signs
- Diagnosis
- Differential diagnoses
- Treatment and management
- Prevention, control and public health
- Prognosis
- Quick review
- Test yourself
- References
The full guide also has 4 tables, 3 figures, 3 self-test questions and 27 references, available to NAVLE members.
Read the full study guide
The full guide is part of every NAVLE plan, with diagnosis and treatment tables, figures, a quick review and self-test questions. Start a free trial to try the question bank, or log in if you are already a member.