Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Rabbit with widespread skin scaling linked to thymoma tumor
By Florizoone, Koenraad·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2005·Small Animal Practice Het Binnenhof·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Thymoma-associated exfoliative dermatitis in a rabbit.
- Species:
- rabbit
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old rabbit was brought in because of widespread scaling on its skin. The vet ran several tests, including skin scrapings and biopsies, but found no mites or infections. Unfortunately, the owners chose not to pursue treatment, and two months later, the rabbit stopped eating and was euthanized. A mass was discovered in the chest, and further examination confirmed it was a thymoma, which may have caused the skin issues.
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Abstract
A 5-year-old rabbit with generalized scaling is presented. Multiple skin scrapings and acetate tape impressions were negative for mites and Malassezia. Culture for dermatophytes was also negative. Skin biopsies showed similarities with sebaceous adenitis described in rabbits (absence of sebaceous glands, perifollicular lymphocytic infiltrate at the level of the absent sebaceous glands, lymphocytic mural folliculitis, interface dermatitis). The owners refused any treatment and 2 months later the rabbit was euthanized due to anorexia. At necropsy a mass was found in the anterior mediastinum. Histopathology confirmed a diagnosis of thymoma. A possible paraneoplastic skin disease was suspected, based on similarities with thymoma-associated exfoliative dermatitis in cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16101800/