Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with blistering skin and mouth sores after ear drops
By Rybnícek, Jan & Hill, Peter B·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2007·Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Suspected polymyxin B-induced pemphigus vulgaris in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old female Tosa Inu developed severe swelling, blisters, and ulcers on her ears, nose, and mouth after using polymyxin B ear drops for an ear infection. She was also depressed, had a fever, and wasn't eating. After stopping the ear drops, the dog received fluids, antibiotics, and medications to suppress her immune system. Remarkably, she fully recovered within two weeks, and her treatment was stopped a month later. Over the next year, she showed no signs of the condition returning, suggesting the pemphigus vulgaris (a serious skin disease) was likely caused by the ear drops.
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Abstract
A case of pemphigus vulgaris (PV), putatively induced by topical application of polymyxin B ear drops, is described. A 3-year-old, female Tosa Inu, presented with acute onset swelling, blistering and ulceration of the pinnae, nostrils, lips and oral mucous membranes. The dog was depressed, febrile and anorexic. For 7 days prior to the onset of the acute ulcerative disease, polymyxin B ear drops had been applied to both ears to treat an ear infection. Skin and mucosal biopsies showed suprabasilar cleft formation and acantholysis, indicative of PV. The polymyxin B ear drops were discontinued and the dog was treated with intravenous fluids, systemic and topical antibacterial therapy, and immunosuppressive therapy comprising prednisone and azathioprine. Complete remission was noted after 2 weeks, and the immunosuppressive therapy was discontinued one month later. No clinical signs of PV recurred over a 1 year follow-up period. As PV does not usually resolve spontaneously, or enter long-term remission, it was considered that the condition was most likely drug induced due to the aural application of polymyxin B.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17470231/