Aspectos epidemiológicos e patológicos do complexo granuloma eosinofílico felino / Epidemiologic and pathologic aspects of feline eosinophilic granuloma complex

ABSTRACT

Background: The feline eosinophilic granuloma complex (FEGC) includes a group of lesions that affect the skin, mucocutaneous junctions, and oral cavity of cats. It comprises three distinct clinical entities the eosinophilic ulcer (EU), theeosinophilic plaque (EP) and the eosinophilic granuloma (EG). The EU is usually found in the upper lip. Lesions of EPoccur most commonly on the abdomen and medial thigh. The EG lesions usually appear on the tongue and hard palate.The aim of this study is to describe the localization and pathological findings of FEGC through a retrospective study andtesting by immunohistochemistry if feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1) infection may be associated.Materials, Methods & Results: The records of biopsy specimens from the Department of Veterinary Pathology of theUniversidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul were recovered and cats diagnosed with FEGC were selected since January2006 to December 2017. General data, such as age, sex, breed and distribution lesions, were analyzed and compiled. Thehistological slides were reviewed by optical microscopy and the microscopic findings were detailed. Sections of tissuewere used in immunohistochemistry to investigate the presence of feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1) using anti-FHV-1 antibody. In this study, 30 cats were diagnosed with FEGC. Most part of the cats were mixed breed (27/30), and there wereno sex predisposition. The age of the cats ranged from seven months to 13 years old, and the median was three years. Thelesion distribution of FEGC was 40% in oral cavity, 33.3% in skin and 26.6% in mucocutaneous junction. Histologically,the main lesion of all distributions was characterized by diffuse dermal/submucosa inflammatory infiltrate composed ofeosinophils. Within the inflammation there were large irregular foci of collagen...