Why does my ferret have a bump on his tail?
A chordoma is a slow-growing tumor on a ferret’s spine or tail which arises from remnants of notochords — flexible, rod-shaped bodies that are located directly beneath the animal’s nerve cord. Chordomas do not metastasize (spread throughout the body), although they are locally invasive in the spinal cord.
What does ferret tumor look like?
They are usually circular, flat, and slightly raised masses found anywhere on the body. Some are very itchy. They are usually found after the ferret has scratched them and they become slightly ulcerated and bleeding, leading to a round sore that may have a crusty scab with hair matted over top.
How do I know if my ferret has cancer?
In adult ferrets signs may include:
- Cycles of inappetence.
- Cycles of weakness.
- Periods of weight loss.
- Swollen lymph nodes.
- Chronic diarrhea.
- Vomiting.
- Difficulty breathing.
- Yellowish tinged skin.
What is a chordoma?
Chordomas are tumors that can occur anywhere within the spine or the base of the skull. The two most common locations for chordomas are the lower back (sacral area — approximately one-third to one-half of chordomas) and the base of the skull (approximately one-third of chordomas).
Is a chordoma hard or soft?
On palpation, the tumor is hard and painless with a regular and mobile surface. X-ray of the coccyx was normal. Surgery was performed with total excision and primary closure. Histopathological report was chordoma.
What does a chordoma lump feel like?
These symptoms may include pain, weakness, numbness, clumsiness, or tingling in the arms or legs. Tumors in the tailbone area can cause a noticeable mass; numbness in the groin area; bowel and bladder problems; or numbness, tingling, and weakness in the legs.
Is Chondroma malignant?
Chondromas are benign (not cancerous) tumors made of cartilage that are found mostly in the small bones of the hand and feet. They can also occur in the humerus (upper arm), femur (thigh bone), and ribs. These tumors rarely produce symptoms but can cause the affected bone to easily fracture.
How common is chordoma?
Chordomas account for approximately 1-4% of all malignant bone tumors and around 20% of primary tumors of the spinal column. The incidence of chordoma is estimated to be approximately 1 per 1,000,000 people. About 300 new cases of chordoma are diagnosed in the United States each year.
How do you detect chordoma?
An MRI is the best way to see a chordoma and how it is affecting the tissue around it, such as muscles, nerves, and blood vessels. No matter where the tumor is located, an MRI of the entire spine should be performed to see if the tumor may have spread to or developed in other areas of the spine.
What does a skull base tumor feel like?
These tumors can grow slowly or rapidly. Symptoms of chondrosarcomas depend on their location in the skull base and may include headache, ringing in the ears, and problems with vision, hearing, or balance.
Is chordoma curable?
With appropriate treatment, many chordoma patients will live for a decade or more, and some can be cured.
Can you feel a tumor on your tailbone?
Tailbone pain may stem from chordoma, a rare, cancerous tumor that develops in your spine, the base of your skull, or your tailbone. As the mass grows, it can cause pain. Symptoms of chordoma include: A noticeable mass.
Who treats chordoma?
A highly trained team of neurosurgeons, neuro-oncologists, interventional neuroradiologists, and radiosurgeons at the Weill Cornell Medicine Brain and Spine Center are available to treat these tumors.
Can a tumor grow on the outside of your skull?
Skull base tumors most often grow inside the skull but occasionally form on the outside. They can originate in the skull base as a primary tumor or spread there from a cancer elsewhere in the body as a metastatic brain tumor.