Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with widespread hair loss and cystic skin disease causes
By Neuber, Ariane E et al.·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2006·The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Generalized alopecic and cystic dermatosis in a cat: a counterpart to the hairless mouse phenotype or a unique congenital dermatosis?
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old male cat was brought to the vet because he had been losing hair and developing a smelly, greasy skin condition for about a year and a half. The hair loss affected most of his body but not his head or tail, and his skin was thickening in certain areas. After examining skin samples, the vet found issues with the hair follicles and glands. The cat was treated with steroids and special washes, which helped improve his condition and led to some hair regrowth, but the cat was lost to follow-up after treatment.
People also search for: cat hair loss treatment · smelly cat skin condition · cat skin thickening causes
Abstract
A 2-year-old, male neutered, domestic semi-long-haired cat was presented with a 1.5-year history of progressive, initially nonpruritic alopecia and malodorous greasy exudate affecting the distal extremities, trunk and neck but sparing the head and tail. The extensive alopecia and 'seborrhoea' were associated with severe thickening of the skin and fold formation on the dorsal head and distal extremities as well as the lateral thorax and abdomen. The hair was easily epilated, numerous milia were seen on the ventral abdomen and the caudal and lateral thighs, and mild paronychia was present. Histopathological examination of skin biopsies revealed marked cystic dilation of hair follicles and sebaceous glands with follicular hypoplasia, infundibular hyperkeratosis and variable associated inflammation. Systemic glucocorticoid therapy in combination with topical washes with chlorhexidine and miconazole resulted in a marked improvement and some hair regrowth, but the cat was subsequently lost to follow-up. The dermatosis resembles a number of conditions in other species, but it is not clear whether it is a counterpart to the hairless mutant mouse or is a unique dermatosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16412121/