title: Vesiculobullous skin reaction temporally related to firocoxib treatment in a white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum).
abstract: A 40 yr-old female white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) suffered from chronic nail-bed abscesses. Due to worsening of clinical signs, the animal's nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory treatment was switched to firocoxib. Approximately 7 days after this change, the animal developed multifocal vesicles and bullae along the lateral aspects of the thorax and abdomen, the dorsum, and the proximal limbs. Cytology and culture did not identify an infectious etiology. Histologically, the lesions consisted of a severe, subacute vesiculobullous dermatitis with intraepidermal to subepidermal clefting with areas of individual keratinocyte necrosis and minor neutrophilic epidermal infiltrates. These findings are similar to those seen in some drug reactions in people; therefore an adverse drug reaction to the firocoxib was suspected.
authors.affiliation: North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, 4700 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, USA. stringer.betsy@gmail.com
authors.forename: Elizabeth M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Stringer
authors.forename: Ryan S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: De Voe
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Linder
authors.forename: Brigid
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Troan
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McCalla-Martin
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Loomis
mesh_terms: D015107:4-Butyrolactone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003875:Drug Eruptions / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D007794:Lameness, Animal / Q000188:drug therapy; D010527:Perissodactyla; D012872:Skin Diseases, Vesiculobullous / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000662:veterinary*; D013450:Sulfones / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D013450:Sulfones; D015107:4-Butyrolactone; C487384:firocoxib