Symmetrical alopecia, scaling and hepatitis in a rabbit.
A 5-year-old rabbit with inappetence, symmetrical alopecia and skin lesions was examined. No mites or Malassezia were found in skin scrapings and tape impressions and dermatophyte culture was negative. Trial therapy with ivermectin did not reduce skin lesion severity, and euthanasia was performed because of anorexia after 1 month. Histopathology of the skin showed hyperkeratosis, lymphocytic exocytosis, cell-poor interface dermatitis (lymphocytic infiltration and apoptotic cells in basal layer of epidermis), absence of sebaceous glands and lymphocytic mural folliculitis comparable to sebaceous adenitis and thymoma-associated exfoliative dermatitis previously described in rabbits. The liver exhibited an interface hepatitis, comparable to autoimmune hepatitis in man. The occurrence of morphological similarities to exfoliative dermatitis and sebaceous adenitis in rabbits, in association with an autoimmune hepatitis, has not been described before.
Florizoone
Koenraad
K
Small Animal Clinic Het Binnenhof, Bisschopslaan 68, B-2340 Beerse, Belgium. koenraad.florizoone@hetbinnenhof.be
van der Luer
René
R
van den Ingh
Ted
T
D000505:Alopecia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D003873:Dermatitis, Exfoliative / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits