Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Recurring foot skin lumps from parapoxvirus infection in three cats
By Fairley, R A et al.·Published in New Zealand veterinary journal·2008·Gribbles Veterinary Laboratory·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Recurrent localised cutaneous parapoxvirus infection in three cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Three cats were brought in with persistent, non-healing growths on one of their feet that kept coming back even after treatment and surgery. Tests showed that these lesions were caused by a virus called parapoxvirus, which is known to cause similar issues in animals. The cats were diagnosed with this viral infection, and it’s important for pet owners, especially those in rural areas, to be aware of this when noticing unusual growths on their cats' feet. With proper diagnosis and treatment, these conditions can be managed effectively.
People also search for: cat foot growth · non-healing lesions on cat · parapoxvirus in cats · cat skin infection treatment
Abstract
CASE HISTORY: Three cats were presented with single proliferative lesions affecting one foot, which failed to heal after medical treatment, and recurred despite surgical resection. PATHOLOGICAL FINDINGS: Histologically, the lesions were proliferative and papillary. There was marked acanthosis, rete peg formation, and compact orthokeratosis, with large numbers of bacteria in the orthokeratotic scale. Some biopsies had multifocal keratinocyte swelling of the stratum granulosum, and amphophilic intracytoplasmic inclusions were present in some of the swollen cells. The dermis consisted of a light fibrous stroma with marked capillary proliferation. Parapoxviruses were detected in the lesions of all cats by electron microscopic examination. PCR analysis detected orf virus (contagious ecthyma virus) in two cats, and orf virus was cultured from one cat. DIAGNOSIS: Parapoxvirus infection in cats. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Parapoxvirus infection should be considered as a differential diagnosis when dealing with proliferative, non-healing lesions on the feet of cats, especially cats in rural areas. The recovery of orf virus from a cat with typical poxvirus lesions extends the range of species affected by this virus.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18690256/