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Case Report

Thymoma-associated exfoliative dermatitis in a cat

Authors
  • D. Pelsmaekers
  • S. Vandenabeele
  • I. Castelijns
  • K. Vanderperren
  • T. Bosmans
  • L. Stegen
  • H. de Rooster

Abstract

A 10-year-old male castrated European Shorthair was presented with signs of scaling, alopecia and pruritus. The dermatopathological examination demonstrated an interface dermatitis with a few apoptotic keratinocytes, a mural lymphocytic folliculitis and the absence of sebaceous glands. These skin changes are compatible with a paraneoplastic syndrome caused by a thymoma. A thoracic radiograph confirmed the presence of a mass in the cranial mediastinum. A sternal thoracotomy was performed. One large tumor and two smaller masses were removed. Histopathological examination of the masses revealed a lymphocyte-rich thymoma. Initially, the skin lesions improved significantly. A few weeks after surgery, there was a relapse of the exfoliative dermatitis, which regressed with a dexamethasone treatment. On the last follow-up consult, 6 months post-operatively, the cat was no longer administered any medication and only showed mild scaling and no pruritus.

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Published on
2012-02-28

Peer Reviewed