Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with pemphigus foliaceus and immune thrombocytopenia
By Kawarai, Shinpei et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2015·Veterinary Teaching Hospital (S.K., Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Canine pemphigus foliaceus with concurrent immune-mediated thrombocytopenia.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old wirehaired fox terrier was brought to the vet with a fever, low platelet count, and severe skin issues that had been worsening for about 18 days. Tests showed he had pemphigus foliaceus, an autoimmune skin disease, along with immune-mediated thrombocytopenia, which is a condition where the immune system attacks platelets. The vet treated him with immunosuppressive medications, cyclosporine and azathioprine, which worked well. The dog has been doing well and survived for over two years after starting treatment.
People also search for: dog skin problems pemphigus · wirehaired fox terrier low platelet count · immune-mediated thrombocytopenia treatment
Abstract
A 3 yr old wirehaired fox terrier was presented to his primary care veterinarian with fever, thrombocytopenia, and generalized crusting dermatitis. The skin lesion had progressed for at least 18 days, and thrombocytopenia had developed 3 days before presentation. Histopathology and direct immunofluorescence studies of the skin were consistent with pemphigus foliaceus (PF). Immunofluorescence revealed immunoglobulin G deposition around the keratinocytes in the stratum spinosum. A diagnosis of immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (IMT) was confirmed by the presence of platelet surface-associated immunoglobulin using flow cytometry. Systemic immunosuppressive therapy with cyclosporine and azathioprine was effective, and the dog survived for >2 years from the initial presentation. IMT is rarely associated with PF. This appears to be the first detailed report of a definitive diagnosis of concurrent PF and IMT in a dog. The authors' findings indicate that canine PF could be complicated by hematologic immune-mediated diseases such as IMT.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25415212/