"Lumps" occur in reptiles for all the same sorts of reasons that they occur in other animals. They can be investigated by the usual processes of ultrasound, radiography and fine needle aspiration.

a sublingual abscess in a common boa and (right)

Abscesses are relatively common in reptiles and frequently cause slowly developing swellings in a variety of locations. As with ascesses in other species, they need to be opened and drained for effective treatment. Reptiles lack the inflammatory machinary to liquefy pus so that reptile abscesses are usually full of a dry inspissated material. Evacuation of the abscess entails a sufficient incision and then "scooping out" the pus from the cavity. An instrument such as a Volkmann spoon is very useful for this sort of proceedure. It is frequently best carried out under sedation.

The aim should be to get the abscess to "shell out" in a single piece- this offers the best hope of resolution. The abscess cavity can then be irrigated with a 10% betadine solution. Large cavities can be covered with moist dressings as for burns.

abscess contents nicely "shelled out" to leave a

As with other animals, tumours are common especially in older animals. The following slides show the surgical removal of a renal tumour from a king snake.

                                                            ultrasound scan of renal tumour.

EGGS.  Eggs are easily palpable in lizards and snakes- see notes on reproductive problems.

FAT.  Fat is  internally stored in fat pads in many lizards including the common bearded dragon. They lie symmetrically within the coelom laterally and are readily palpable in normal and overweight animals.

FOREIGN BODIES.

Intestinal foreign bodies can be ingested especially if innapropriate substrate is used or incorrect feeding. The radiograph opposite is from a monitor lizard with an impacted faecolith which resisted all conservative treatment and was eventually removed at celiotomy.