A Visitor asked the following question on 3/12/2005
7 year old boxer with ulcerating skin lesion. Biopsy Histiocytoma. Vet wants $900 to remove. What is the prognosis and treatment options?
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3/15/05
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Histiocytomas are pretty common particularly in Boxers....sometimes they go away on their own, sometimes they have to be removed and sometimes they can disguise other things like a mast cell tumour.
If the growth is going to go away on its own, then it will usually do so within 3 months.
HOWEVER...as your boxers skin has ulcerated, it is highly advisable to go ahead with the surgery to have it removed, this will help to prevent the onset of secondary infection to the site.
As for prognosis...it is good, once dealt with, Histiocytomas rarely come back.
Please bear in mind that as well as Histiocytoma (usually benign) there is also Histiocytosis...."systematic" and "malignant".
The systematic version causes skin abnormalities.
There is no successful treatment for histicytosis at this time.
If I were you, I would go ahead with the surgical removal of the lump. Ask for it to be sent away to a path. lab for analysis so that you can be sure that it was benign.
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Lorraine
Mareterram Boxers
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