Lumps and Bumps 2012

Lumps and bumps are not all the same.  One such lump, known as a cutaneous histiocytoma, is a skin mass that often appears seemingly all of a sudden in younger dogs, especially under 2 years of age.   The cause of the mass is unknown, and although it looks very much like a tumor, it may just be proliferative or reactive tissue, because most often they will regress on their own within a few months.  Sometimes it takes 2-3 weeks and sometimes up to 5-6 months to regress.  That can be worrisome because waiting that long on a true tumor that may not be benign is risky.   An aspirate and cytology or biopsy is recommended to confirm the diagnosis.  If you are lucky like Quincy, the happy 11-month-old Boxer in our picture, a cutaneous histiocytoma will regress on its own.  In Quincy’s case it took 2-1/2 months, but as you can see, the “lump” fully resolved on its own.  

Thanks, Quincy, for letting us share your story!