Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Horse with skin swelling and hives - what is dermatographism?
By Cornick, J L & Brumbaugh, G W·Published in The Cornell veterinarian·1989·Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Dermatographism in a horse.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
An eight-year-old Thoroughbred gelding was brought in because he had swelling in his front legs and hives all over his body. Tests on his blood and other body fluids came back normal, and doctors couldn't find any specific problems with his immune system or tissue samples. While he was being treated, they noticed that his hives would flare up when his skin was pressed, a condition known as dermatographism. The horse was given medications like corticosteroids and antihistamines, but the results were unclear. Ultimately, his condition improved after five weeks, but the exact cause of his symptoms was never determined.
Abstract
An eight-year-old Thoroughbred gelding with dermatographic urticaria is presented. Forelimb edema and generalized urticaria were the presenting clinical signs. All hematologic and serum biochemical values were normal. Immunologic and histologic evaluation failed to reveal specific abnormalities. During hospitalization, an urticarial response to mechanical pressure (dermatographism) was identified. Clinical responses to corticosteroid and antihistaminic (H1) therapy were equivocal. The condition resolved in five weeks and an etiology was not discovered. A discussion of the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of dermatographic urticaria in humans is included with the report.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2912671/