Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Ferret with severe skin lymphoma treated successfully
By Rosenbaum, M R et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·1996·Department of Clinical Studies, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Cutaneous epitheliotropic lymphoma in a ferret.
- Species:
- rodent
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old spayed female ferret was brought in for severe skin issues, including hair loss, redness, and painful sores that didn't improve with long-term steroid treatment. After examining skin samples, the vet diagnosed her with cutaneous epitheliotropic lymphoma, a type of skin cancer. The ferret was treated with isotretinoin, an oral medication, along with antibiotics and oatmeal shampoos, which helped clear up her skin lesions within two months. Unfortunately, her kidney function worsened, and she was euthanized due to complications from the cancer and previous steroid use.
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Abstract
An 8-year-old spayed female ferret was examined for diffuse generalized alopecia, erythema, erosions, crusts, and ulcerated plaques that were nonresponsive to long-term administration of corticosteroids. Cutaneous epitheliotropic lymphoma was diagnosed on the basis of histologic examination of skin biopsy specimens. Neoplastic cells were determined to be of T-lymphocytic origin by results of immunohistochemical staining with a rabbit anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody. Additional laboratory abnormalities detected included anemia, azotemia, isosthenuria, pyuria, and bacteriuria. Treatment included isotretinoin and amoxicillin trihydrate plus clavulanate potassium administered orally, and oatmeal-based shampoos. Isotretinoin was tolerated well and cutaneous lesions resolved after 60 days of treatment, but pretreatment azotemia worsened and the ferret was euthanatized. Necropsy revealed cutaneous epitheliotropic lymphoma, pyelonephritis, and interstitial nephritis. Renal disease most likely was caused by immunosuppression secondary to chronic treatment with corticosteroids and aging. Isotretinoin, although not curative, may be useful for the palliative treatment of cutaneous epitheliotropic lymphoma in ferrets.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8870742/