712 DISEASES/DISORDERS
Causes – Cat
FeLV associated (retrovirus): vasculitis – seborrheic or ulcerative necrosis of
the pinnae and tail tip; giant cell dermatosis – pruritic, ulcerative dermatosis
of face, neck, pinnae; cutaneous horns – multicentric horns on the footpads
and rarely nasal planum or eyelid margins; tumor – lymphoma, fibrosarcoma;
immunosuppressive effects – produces secondary symptoms of gingivitis, recur-
rent bacterial folliculitis, dermatophytosis, malassezia dermatitis, and demodicosis
(Figures 49.1, 49.2).FIV associated (retrovirus): plasma cell stomatitis: painful, proliferative lesion on
palatoglossal folds and arches; plasma cell pododermatitis – spongy metacarpal and
metatarsal pads±painful and ulcerative; immunosuppressive effects – produces
secondary symptoms of oral disease, recurrent bacterial folliculitis, dermatophyto-
sis,Malasseziadermatitis, cryptococcosis, candidiasis, and demodicosis; generalized
crusting dermatitis – head and limbs most affected (Figures 49.3–49.5).Plasma cell chondritis (retrovirus): symmetrical painful swelling of the pinnae, fol-
lowed by shrinkage when healing, pyrexia, FeLV/FIV associated.
Feline sarcoma virus (FeSV): multicentric fibrosarcoma.
Feline cowpox virus infection (orthopoxvirus): initial small solitary “pock” lesion on
the face or limbs that progresses to nodules, erosions, abscesses, and cellulitis; 20% of
cases have oral lesions, depression, anorexia, pyrexia, respiratory signs or pneumonia;
lesions usually resolve in 3–8 weeks; cat to cat, dog, and human reported; may be fatal
in exotic felids.Feline infectious peritonitis (coronavirus FcoV): ascites, pleural effusion, hepatitis,
uveitis, and, rarely, skin lesions characterized by vasculitis causing nodules or ulcers
and focal necrosis affecting the head and neck.Feline papillomavirus (papillomavirus FcaPV2, FcaPV3, and FdPV2): hyperplastic
multicentric scaly papules or plaques that may be hyperpigmented; implicated as
precursory lesions of multicentric squamous cell carcinomain situ(Bowen’s disease,
bowenoidin situcarcinoma – BISC) and characterized by hyperpigmented hyperk-
eratotic plaques of primarily the face, shoulders, and extremities (more aggressive
disease seen in Devon rex); rare sarcoid lesions (facial nodules) caused by papillo-
mavirus infection of dermal fibroblasts rather than epidermal keratinocytes; possible
basal cell carcinoma (Figures 49.6–49.10).Feline rhinotracheitis (alpha-herpesvirus-1): vesicles, blisters, ulcerations of facial
and nasal regions, often associated with URI; virus persists in the trigeminal nerve;
may mimic allergic dermatitis (head and neck pruritus); herpes virus-associated ery-
thema multiforme – skin lesions appear 10 days after infection causing respiratory
signs and conjunctivitis; generalized erosive and exfoliative dermatosis that resolves
within a few weeks (Figures 49.11–49.14).Feline calicivirus (calicivirus): conjunctivitis and stomatitis; vesicles that rapidly
ulcerate, URI, pneumonia, acute death or spontaneously resolution; one syndrome
involves only the skin presenting with fever, swollen feet and erosive lesions on the
face (nose predominant) with spontaneous resolution in 2–3 days.