Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Skin lumps in cats and dogs - what are mycobacterial granulomas?
By Malik, Richard et al.·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2013·The University of Sydney, Australia·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Ulcerated and nonulcerated nontuberculous cutaneous mycobacterial granulomas in cats and dogs.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A cat or dog with skin lumps that may or may not be ulcerated could be suffering from a type of skin infection caused by mycobacteria. These lumps can appear firm and hairless, and they may drain fluid. To diagnose the issue, vets can take samples from the lumps and send them to a lab for testing. Treatment usually involves surgically removing the lumps and using a combination of antibiotics like rifampicin and clarithromycin to fight the infection. With proper care, pets can recover from these skin issues.
People also search for: cat skin lumps treatment · dog skin infection antibiotics · why does my dog have a lump on its skin
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Mycobacterial granulomas of the skin and subcutis can be caused by one of a number of pathogens. This review concentrates on noncultivable species that cause diseases characterized by focal granuloma(s), namely leproid granuloma (in dogs) and feline leprosy (in cats). Clinically indistinguishable lesions can be caused by tuberculous organisms (Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium microti) and members of the Mycobacterium avium complex. Rapidly growing mycobacterial species that cause infection of the subcutaneous panniculus associated with draining tracts are not discussed. Disease caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans is an important emerging differential diagnosis for ulcerated cutaneous nodules in certain localized regions. CLINICAL LESIONS: Lesions comprise one or multiple nodules in the skin/subcutis. These are generally firm and well circumscribed, and typically become denuded of hair. They may or may not ulcerate, depending on the virulence of the causal organisms and the immune response of the host. DIAGNOSIS: The most inexpensive, noninvasive means of diagnosis is by submission of methanol-fixed, Romanowsky-stained smears to a Mycobacterium Reference Laboratory after detecting negatively stained or acid-fast bacilli on cytological smears. Scrapings of material from slides usually provide sufficient mycobacterial DNA to enable identification of the causal organism using sequence analysis of amplicons after PCR using specific mycobacterial primers. THERAPY: Therapy relies upon a combination of marginal resection of easily accessible lesions and treatment using two or three drugs effective against slowly growing mycobacteria, choosing amongst rifampicin, clarithromycin, clofazimine and pradofloxacin/moxifloxacin.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23331691/