Lump in corn snake

[StevenLeeAugust]

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.
My corn snake developed a slight lump about 3 inches from his vent.
I went to the vet for an X-Ray and this is what we found…

It’s not a lump pushing out as much as it is something under the skin pressing in on its ribs. But there is nothing there. No mass or substance. Look closely at its rib bones. They go inward and then out again.
Anyone have any ideas?
Steve

	Corn Snake The Corn Snake or Red Rat Snake (Elaphe guttata) is a species of Rat Snake.

[Reptscue]

foreign body, fatty tumor, deep thick abscess?

[StevenLeeAugust]

but those would show in an x ray, wouldnt they?

[reptilemama]

Fatty tissue doesn't show up well on a radiograph. I have heard of fatty tumors becoming more common in colubrids. In dogs, overweight animals are more prone to them, but so are certain breeds- labs, for instance, seem to develop them as they get older. They are benign, and as long as they aren't causing discomfort or interfering with another part of the body, they don't need to be removed. Don't get me wrong though- I'm not saying for certain that's what this is. A fine-needle aspriate may help determine what's going on.

[JuliusSqueezer]

Cornsnakes are bad to get those...I had a normal corn that I caught in florida that had/has a fairly large one on his neck. I kept him a couple of years and noted no change and eventually adopted him out to dlamphere...I guess they still have him.
I've seen more of them in cornsnakes than any other species but have never seen them cause any harm to any snake. (this by no means that no snakes are harmed...just none that I personally have seen) Your vet can slice it open and scrape it out but there really is no reason to put them through that. If your snake were a human, lymphomas are almost always malignant...but these snake fatty tumor/lymphomas are almost always benign.

[StevenLeeAugust]

thanks
We are thinking of just using a needle to draw out some of it to exam, not cutting open.

[JuliusSqueezer]

It won't work. I've tried it a few times with various sized needles. It's not puss or liquidy at all. It feels soft and feels like it should be liquid...but it's solid mass