title: Pemphigus foliaceus in the horse: a retrospective study of 20 cases.
abstract: Twenty horses with pemphigus foliaceus were seen over a period of 15 years in a veterinary medical teaching hospital. Breeds seen were seven quarterhorses, five thoroughbreds, three cross-bred horses, two Arabians and one of each of the following: standardbred, Tennessee walker and warmblood. There was no breed, age or sex predisposition. Nine were mares, ten were geldings and one was a stallion. Ages ranged from 2.5 months to 25 years, with a mean of 8.6 years. Sixteen (80%) of the pemphigus foliaceus horses first exhibited signs between September and February. There was a statistically significant more common occurrence of pemphigus foliaceus during those months. Signs in the four other horses were first noted in March, May or June. Three of those horses were < 13 months of age. Oedema (14/20) and crusts (13/20) were the most common lesions. Pain was present in 9/20 horses, pruritus in 7/20 and pyrexia in 7/20. Follow-up was available for 13 horses. Five of these horses were euthanased. In three horses the reason for euthanasia was laminitis secondary to treatment. Four horses remained lesion-free after medication was discontinued. Two horses required maintenance medication and are doing well at the time of writing.
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA. s.vandenabeele@ugent.be
authors.forename: Sophie I J
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Vandenabeele
authors.forename: Stephen D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Verena K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Affolter
authors.forename: Philip H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Kass
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Ihrke
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D006736:Horses; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D010392:Pemphigus / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents