Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with fragile skin linked to feline infectious peritonitis
By Trotman, Tara K et al.·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2007·Department of Clinical Studies, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Skin fragility syndrome in a cat with feline infectious peritonitis and hepatic lipidosis.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 6-year-old spayed female domestic shorthair cat was brought to the vet after showing signs of not eating, losing weight, and hiding for three weeks. During the exam, the vet noticed a small tear in her skin and that her skin was fragile, which caused a large flap of skin to tear off when the cat was gently restrained. Tests revealed she had feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) and hepatic lipidosis (a liver condition). This case highlights that skin fragility can occur with FIP, which may help in diagnosing this serious illness.
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Abstract
A 6-year-old spayed female domestic shorthair cat with a 3-week history of inappetence, weight loss, and hiding was examined. A palpable abdominal fluid wave, dehydration, and a small tear on the left flank were noted during initial examination. When the cat was gently restrained for blood sampling, the skin on the dorsal neck tore, leaving a 15 cm x 7 cm flap of skin. Clinicopathological abnormalities included nonregenerative anaemia, hypoalbuminaemia, increased globulin concentration, and mildly elevated aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase activities. Abdominal fluid was viscous and had a total protein of 5.3 g dL(-1) with 316 cells microL(-1), consistent with a modified transudate. Cytology of the abdominal fluid revealed 86% nondegenerate neutrophils, 13% macrophages, and 1% small lymphocytes. Histopathological evaluation and indirect immunohistochemistry confirmed a diagnosis of feline infectious peritonitis, hepatic lipidosis and feline skin fragility syndrome. Feline skin fragility syndrome has not previously been reported in association with feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). Its inclusion as a clinical sign associated with FIP may facilitate a diagnosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17845626/