Pathology of Cutaneous System

Prof RS Chauhan
Department of Pathology
College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
G B Pant University of Agri & Tech Pantnagar-263145
US Nagar Uttarakhand
www.profchauhan.in
E-mail: profchauhan58@gmail.com

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 CONTENTS
o  Developmental anomalies
o  Acanthosis nigricans
o  Dermatitis
n  Vesicular dermatitis
n  Parasitic dermatitis
n  Allergic dermatitis
n  Gangrenous dermatitis
o  Equine cutaneous granuloma
o  Miscellaneous lesions of skin

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 DEVELOPMENTAL ANOMALIES

o  Congenital icthyosis

o  Epitheliogenesis imperfecta
o  Congenital alopecia
o  Congenital albinism
o  Congenital cutaneous asthenia

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 DEVELOPMENTAL ANOMALIES
o  Congenital icthyosis
n  Scaly epidermis resembles with skin of fish
n  Due to a simple autosomal recessive
homozygous gene in calves
n  Characterized by scaly, horny, thick
epidermis divided into plates by deep
fissures
n  Microscopically, there is thick keratin layer
over the epidermis
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 DEVELOPMENTAL ANOMALIES
o  Epitheliogenesis imperfecta
n  Discontinuity of epithelium on skin leaving
patches without squamous epithelium
n  Mostly at feet, claws and oral mucosa
n  In calves succumb to infection after birth or
such foetus may abort
n  Inherited as an autosomal recessive trait

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 DEVELOPMENTAL ANOMALIES
o  Congenital alopecia
n  Complete lack of hair follicles in dog
n  Hair less sites may follow a regular pattern
n  Hereditary defect recognized in certain
breeds

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 DEVELOPMENTAL ANOMALIES
o  Congenital albinism
n  Absence of melanin pigmentation
n  Deficiency of tyrosinase
n  Due to a recessive trait in most species
n  Melanocytes are present but there is lack of
melanin synthesis due to tyrosinase
deficiency

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 DEVELOPMENTAL ANOMALIES
o  Congenital cutaneous asthenia
n  Collagen fibers are irregular in size and
orientation and Fragmented due to
disorganization of fibrils within the fibers
n  Deficiency in procollagen peptidase
responsible for formation of collagen
n  Hyperelasticity and fragility of skin and
hypermotility of joints in cattle, sheep and
dogs
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 ACANTHOSIS NIGRICANS

o  Increased amount of melanin in skin along with

hyperkeratosis

o  This condition commonly occurs in dogs, at

ventral abdomen and medial surface of legs

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 ACANTHOSIS NIGRICANS

o  Etiology

n  Hormonal imbalance

n  Tumors of testicles and pituitary gland

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 ACANTHOSIS NIGRICANS

o  Macroscopic features

n  Colour of skin becomes black

n  Dry and scaly skin due to hyperkeratosis

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 ACANTHOSIS NIGRICANS
o  Microscopic features
n  Proliferation of melanocytes and melanoblasts
n  Black/brown colour pigment intracellular/
extracellular
n  Cells appear as black or brown globular mass
n  Melanin granules are minute, dirty brown in
colour and spherical in shape
n  Hyperkeratinization

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 DERMATITIS

o  Inflammation of skin characterized by

hyperemia, erythema, serus exudation and
infiltration of neutrophils and mononuclear cells

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 DERMATITIS
o  Etiology
n  Bacteria
n  Viruses
n  Chemicals
n  Allergy
n  Trauma
n  Fungi and their toxins
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 DERMATITIS
o  Macroscopic features
n  Erythematous patches on
skin
n  Swelling of skin, itching
sensation leads to
damage/ scratch due to
rubbing
n  Loss of hairs, patches on
skin, alopecia
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 DERMATITIS
o  Microscopic features
n  Hyperemia
n  Serus exudate
n  Infiltration of
neutrophils and
mononuclear cells
n  Presence of fungus in
skin scrapings
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 VESICULAR DERMATITIS

o  Excessive accumulation of clear fluid in

dermis and epidermis leading to vesicle/
blisters formation

o  Also known as hydropic dermatitis

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 VESICULAR DERMATITIS
o  Etiology
n  Sunburn
n  Heat
n  Foot and Mouth Disease virus
n  Pox virus

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 VESICULAR DERMATITIS
o  Macroscopic features
n  Oedematous fluid in dermis
and epidermis resulting in
thickening of skin
n  Hyperemia
n  Vesicles
n  Break of vesicles leads to
clear fluid discharge

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 VESICULAR DERMATITIS
o  Microscopic features
n  Hyperemia
n  Accumulation of clear fluid in
epidermis and dermis, which
is characterized by clear
spaces or takes light pink
stain of eosin
n  Some cells show hydropic
degeneration
n  Infiltration of leucocytes

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 PARASITIC DERMATITIS
(ACARIASIS)

o  Acariasis or mange is caused by mites and

characterized by hyperkeratosis and
inflammation of skin leading to itching, rubbing
and scratching

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 PARASITIC DERMATITIS
o  Etiology
n  Mites
o  Sarcoptes scabei

o  Psoroptic sp.

o  Demodectic sp.

o  Chorioptic sp.

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 PARASITIC DERMATITIS
o  Macroscopic features
n  Hyperkeratosis of skin,
dry and scaly appearance
of skin
n  Hemorrhage/ trauma due
to rubbing/ scratching as
a result of intense itching
n  Absence of hairs on
lesions

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 PARASITIC DERMATITIS

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 PARASITIC DERMATITIS
o  Microscopic features
n  Hyperkeratinization of skin
n  Hyperemia
n  Infiltration of neutrophils,
lymphocytes, macrophages,
eosionophils
n  Presence of mites at the site of
lesions
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 ALLERGIC DERMATITIS

o  Inflammation of skin sensitized to certain

substances, known as allergens

o  Such inflammation can be seen as a result of

delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction

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 ALLERGIC DERMATITIS
o  Etiology
n  Chemicals (DNCB/DNFB)
n  Tuberculin reaction
n  Allergic reaction
n  Soaps, detergents, organic chemicals
n  Parasites- fleas

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 ALLERGIC DERMATITIS
o  Macroscopic features
n  Hyperemia, Erythema
n  Oedematous/nodular
swelling, hard to touch
n  Hot, painful
n  Atopy with vesicular rash,
pruritus, serus exudate

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 ALLERGIC DERMATITIS
o  Microscopic features
n  Infiltration of eosinophils
and mononuclear cells,
macrophages,
lymphocytes
n  Hyperemia, oedema,
necrosis

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 GANGRENOUS DERMATITIS

o  Gangrenous dermatitis is the inflammation of

skin along with formation of gangrene caused
by fungal toxins and characterized by sloughing
of skin, dry gangrene with break in epidermis.

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 GANGRENOUS DERMATITIS

o  Etiology

n  Fusarium sp. toxins

n  Rice straw feeding- Degnala disease

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 GANGRENOUS DERMATITIS
o  Macroscopic features
n  Presence of gangrenous inflammation on extremities
such as legs, udder, ears, tail, scrotum
n  Sloughing of skin leaving raw surface
n  Sloughing of hoofs with hemorrhage

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 GANGRENOUS DERMATITIS

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 GANGRENOUS DERMATITIS

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 GANGRENOUS DERMATITIS
o  Microscopic features
n  Inflammation of skin and invasion by
saprophytes causing dissolution of cells/
tissue
n  Infiltration of mononuclear cells at the
periphery of the lesion

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 EQUINE CUTANEOUS GRANULOMA

o  There is development of chronic, ulcerated and

bloody granuloma on limb of horses due to wire
cuts or other cutaneous injury

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 EQUINE CUTANEOUS GRANULOMA
o  Etiology
n  Skin cuts/injury
n  Habronemiasis
n  Phycomycosis
o  Hyphomyces destruens
o  Entomorphthora coronata

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 EQUINE CUTANEOUS GRANULOMA

o  Macroscopic features

n  Granulation tissue in wound
n  Presence of yellowish/white specks
n  Summer sores / Bursatti

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 EQUINE CUTANEOUS GRANULOMA
o  Microscopic features
n  Tissue composed of newly formed fibrous
tissue, with large number of capillaries,
infiltration of eosinophils
n  Presence of necrotic masses stains deep red
with H&E
n  Presence of helminths in section- cutaneous
habronemiasis
n  Presence of septate hyphae of fungus

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MISCELLANEOUS LESIONS OF SKIN
o  Papule
n  Focal Hyperplasia of stratum spinosum
epithelium leading to hard nodular eruption
on skin

o  Vesicle
n  A cavity in epidermis containing fluid and
covered by a thin layer of epidermis
elevated from the surface

o  Pustule
n  A vesicle filled with pus

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MISCELLANEOUS LESIONS OF SKIN
o  Acanthosis
n  Thickening of epidermis due to
hyperplasia of stratum spinosum/
prickle cell layer
o  Hyperkeratosis
n  Thickening of keratin layer stratum
corneum
o  Parakeratosis
n  The retention of nucleus in keratin
layer
o  Bulla/bleb
n  Cavitations in epidermis filled with
fluid and larger than vesicle

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MISCELLANEOUS LESIONS OF SKIN
o  Erosion/Excoriation
n  Superficial loss of
epithelium
o  Fissure
n  Linear defect in
epidermis, which may be
crusted at muco
cutaneous junctions
o  Abscess
n  A circumscribed cavity
filled with pus
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MISCELLANEOUS LESIONS OF SKIN
o  Folliculitis
n  Inflammation of hair follicles

o  Acne
n  Enlargement of sealed off hair follicles or sebaceous glands
and rupture through the epidermis. It leaves a rounded hole
in the epidermis and a canal down to the dermis

o  Eczema
n  Eczema is a form of allergic dermatitis of obscure etiology and
characterized by erythema, vesicular rash, serus exudate and
pruritus

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 MISCELLANEOUS LESIONS OF SKIN
o  Ulcer
n  A break in the continuity
of the epidermis exposing
dermis
o  Urticaria
n  A circumscribed area of
swelling/ oedema
involving dermis

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