Abstract

An 8-yr-old male bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) was presented for evaluation of a mass involving the right eyelid. The mass was surgically removed in conjunction with enucleation of the right eye. Tissues were submitted for histopathology, which revealed that the eyelid mass was a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). A review of the records from two separate zoological pathology laboratories identified a total of 12 reports of SCC in bearded dragons; this represented 6% of the neoplasms documented in bearded dragons from the two laboratories over a 10 yr period. Nine (75%) of the 12 SCCs were located in the eyelids or periocular tissues; one (8.3%) was located on the rostral mandible; one (8.3%) was located adjacent to the vent; and one (8.3%) was on the proximal right rear leg. These findings suggest a predilection of SCCs in bearded dragons in proximity to a mucocutaneous junction (11/12, 91.6%), particularly in the periocular tissues (9/12, 75%).