Paraneoplastic exfoliative erythroderma in a cat with thymoma


Published: Nov 10, 2017
Keywords:
Cat exfoliative dermatitis thymoma
D. KASABALIS (Δ. ΚΑΣΑΜΠΑΛΗΣ)
M. E. MYLONAKIS (Μ.Ε. ΜΥΛΩΝΑΚΗΣ)
M. N. PATSIKAS (Μ.Ν. ΠΑΤΣΙΚΑΣ)
T. PETANIDES (Θ. ΠΕΤΑΝΙΔΗΣ)
A. F. KOUTINAS (Α.Φ. ΚΟΥΤΙΝΑΣ)
Abstract

A 14-year-old domestic shorthair cat was admitted with a 2-month history of excessive body weight loss and generalized exfoliative dermatitis with erythroderma. Radiographic and ultrasonographic examination revealed a cranioventral cavitary mass within the anterior mediastinum. An ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytology from the mass revealed numerous small mature lymphocytes intermingled with much fewer inflammatory mast cells. These findings, along with a cellpoor interface and mixed cell dermatitis demonstrated on skin histopathology, made the diagnosis of paraneoplastic exfoliative dermatitis straightforward. This uncommon case illustrates the relative value of keratosebborheic skin disease as a useful indicator of an internal malignancy in the cat.

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