Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with total hair loss from alopecia areata universalis
By Ginel, Pedro J et al.·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2015·Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Spain·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Alopecia areata universalis in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 9-year-old male cross-breed hunting dog was brought in because he had lost all his body hair, including his eyelashes and whiskers, over the past year. After thorough examinations, the vet diagnosed him with a rare condition called alopecia areata universalis, which is an autoimmune disease that causes complete hair loss. The dog was treated with oral ciclosporin, which helped him regrow most of his hair, although he still lacked some facial hair after 17 months. Remarkably, after stopping treatment for 5 months, his hair loss did not return, suggesting he may have experienced a spontaneous recovery.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Alopecia areata is a T-cell mediated autoimmune disease that occurs in humans and various other mammalian species. When the disease progresses to total alopecia it is defined as alopecia areata universalis (AAU), although this outcome has only been described in humans. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To describe a case of canine alopecia areata universalis and its clinical outcome after 22 months of follow-up. ANIMAL: A 9-year-old intact male cross-breed hunting dog was presented with generalized and complete noninflammatory alopecia of 12-14 months duration. METHODS: Clinical examination; histopathological and immunohistochemical examination of skin biopsies. RESULTS: There was loss of all body hair including eyelashes and vibrissae. The histopathological and immunohistochemical findings supported a diagnosis of long-standing alopecia areata. Treatment with oral ciclosporin was associated with hair regrowth but muzzle hair, most eyelashes and whiskers were still lacking after 17 months of therapy. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: To the best of the author's knowledge this is the first documented case of canine AAU. The clinical and histopathological features were consistent with a diagnosis of AAU as defined in humans. Treatment with oral ciclosporin resulted in near complete resolution of the alopecia, but after 5 months without treatment the alopecia did not relapse and spontaneous resolution cannot be ruled out.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26123679/