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Background: Alopecia areata is a T-cell mediated autoimmune disease that occurs in humans and various other mammalian species. When the disease progresses to total alopecia it is defined as alopecia areata universalis (AAU), although this outcome has only been described in humans., Hypothesis/objectives: To describe a case of canine alopecia areata universalis and its clinical outcome after 22 months of follow-up., Animal: A 9-year-old intact male cross-breed hunting dog was presented with generalized and complete noninflammatory alopecia of 12-14 months duration., Methods: Clinical examination; histopathological and immunohistochemical examination of skin biopsies., Results: There was loss of all body hair including eyelashes and vibrissae. The histopathological and immunohistochemical findings supported a diagnosis of long-standing alopecia areata. Treatment with oral ciclosporin was associated with hair regrowth but muzzle hair, most eyelashes and whiskers were still lacking after 17 months of therapy., Conclusions and Clinical Importance: To the best of the author's knowledge this is the first documented case of canine AAU. The clinical and histopathological features were consistent with a diagnosis of AAU as defined in humans. Treatment with oral ciclosporin resulted in near complete resolution of the alopecia, but after 5 months without treatment the alopecia did not relapse and spontaneous resolution cannot be ruled out., (© 2015 ESVD and ACVD.)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of three monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), and two anticanine IgG and one anticanine IgM polyclonal antibodies (pAbs) for the immunohistochemical diagnosis of canine autoimmune skin diseases. Skin biopsies from 11 cases of pemphigus (7 foliaceus, 3 vulgaris and 1 erythematosus), 12 cases of discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) and 12 cases of chronic hyperplasic dermatitis were used. The CA4E7 mAb (IgG1 + IgG2) showed similar sensitivity, but higher specificity and lower background than the two anti-IgG pAbs for the immunohistochemical diagnosis of pemphigus and DLE. The CA4F1 mAb (IgG2) and CA3H1 mAb (IgG2) showed moderate and low interepithelial reactivity, respectively, in autoimmune skin diseases, but strong staining of the cytoplasm of plasma cells of the inflammatory infiltrates. These results suggest that the CA4E7 mAb may be valuable in the immunohistochemical diagnosis of such disorders.

Clinicopathological findings are described for a unique skeletal pattern of osteochondromatosis (syn. multiple osteochondromas) in three crossbred littermate dogs. Multiple nonpainful bilaterally symmetric skeletal lesions arose from focal semiannular and annular areas of periosteal thickening on the cortical surface of the metaphyses and diaphyses of long bones. Flat bones of the skull were spared. In radiographs osteochondromas in different stages of evolution were apparent. Grossly there were smoothly contoured, nodular subperiosteal masses of dense fibrocartilaginous and osseous tissue that were continuous with and overlying apparently normal but thin trabeculae of cancellous bone. Cortical compacta was attenuated or absent beneath exostoses. In histologic sections of the cartilage-capped exostoses a hyperplastic periosteum formed a focal semiannular or annular cap of proliferative hyaline cartilage tissue that underwent endochondral ossification and replacement by cancellous bone at its base. Intertrabecular spaces in the cancellous bone of exostoses were filled with fibro-osseous and hematopoietic tissue. A hereditary origin was suspected for the osteochondromas. Origin of some osteochondromas as semiannular or annular perturbations of the perichondrial ring of metaphyseal physes of long bones likely contributed to limb shortening and a pattern of billaterally symmetric angular limb deformities of all limbs as occurs in some children affected by osteochondromatosis.