Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Skin hydration linked to allergic skin scores in atopic cats
By Szczepanik, Marcin P et al.·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2018·Faculty of Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evaluation of the correlation between Scoring Feline Allergic Dermatitis and Feline Extent and Severity Index and skin hydration in atopic cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 18 European short hair cats with allergic skin issues were studied to see if their skin hydration levels could help assess the severity of their condition. The researchers found that in some areas, like the axilla (armpit) and thorax, better skin hydration was linked to lower scores on the allergy severity scales. However, in the ear area, higher allergy scores were associated with lower hydration levels. This suggests that measuring skin hydration could be a helpful way to evaluate allergic cats, especially in certain body areas.
People also search for: cat skin problems · allergic dermatitis in cats · how to treat cat skin allergies · cat skin hydration assessment
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Evaluation of the severity of clinical signs of cats with allergic skin diseases has used two scoring systems: Scoring Feline Allergic Dermatitis (SCORFAD) and the Feline Extent and Severity Index (FeDESI). The integrity of the cutaneous barrier can also be evaluated by measuring skin hydration. A correlation between the clinical score and skin hydration has been observed in humans and dogs with atopic dermatitis (AD). HYPOTHESIS: To demonstrate a correlation between the clinical score and skin hydration of cats affected with presumed AD. ANIMALS: European short hair cats (n = 18): 11 females and seven males with a confirmed diagnosis of AD. METHODS: SCORFAD and FeDESI scores were calculated and the measurements of skin hydration were assessed from seven body sites using corneometry. The correlation between the SCORFAD and FeDESI systems and skin hydration of each site, and the average skin hydration was calculated. RESULTS: There was a positive correlation between the SCORFAD score and skin hydration for the axilla, thorax and forelimb; for FeDESI and axilla and lumbar sites. There was a negative correlation between the FeDESI and skin hydration for the pinna (r = -0.47). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Measurements of skin hydration could be a useful tool for the evaluation of allergic cats. There is limited evidence of any useful correlation between clinical scoring systems and measurements of hydration. The pinna may be a suitable region for the assessment of skin barrier function in normal and allergic cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28901591/