| + | Lymphosarcoma is the most common form of malignancy in ferrets. These neoplasms usually arise spontaneously, although recently some degree of horizontal transmission has been suggested. There are several variants of lymphoma in ferrets. The most common form is where the neoplastic cell is a mature, well-differentiated lymphocyte primarily resulting in peripheral lymphadenopathy with visceral spread and a subsequent organ failure. This form usually occurs in older ferrets. A second form of lymphoma that usually occurs in younger ferrets is where the neoplastic cell is a large blastic lymphocyte characterised by early by early visceral neoplasms and is almost always concurrent with the production of a large thymic mass. A third uncommon form is characterised by combinations of peripheral lymphadenopathy, visceral neoplasms and numerous bizarre lymphoblasts. This third form is known as the immunoblastic polymorphous variant. |