Penfigoide bolhoso em cão / Bullous pemphigoid in a dog

ABSTRACT

Background: In dogs, bullous pemphigoid (BP) is a subepithelial autoimmune disease, a rare dermatopathy in the clinicalroutine. BP is characterized by formation of vesicles and subepidermal blisters that result from dissolution of the dermalepithelial junction. Clinical signs of BP usually include severe dermatological alterations with a variable prognosis. Theaim of this work is to report a case of BP in a dog to contribute information for diagnosis, and to present clinical andpathological aspects that emerge during development of BP.Case An adult male mongrel dog exhibited hyperemic, exudative, crusty lesions on the lip commissure and periocularareas. Results from laboratory tests were normal. Results from parasitological and mycological tests on skin scrapingswere negative. Imprint cytology of the crusts revealed presence of gram-positive cocci bacteria. In the histopathologicalanalysis of punch biopsy material, the epidermis was detached from the dermis, leading to formation of vesicles. Therewere inflammatory infiltrates containing neutrophils, eosinophils, and high amounts of fibrin, and areas of multifocalorthokeratotic hyperkeratosis. Multifocal infiltrates containing lymphocytes, histiocytes, and plasma cells were observedon the superficial portions of the dermis, which indicated a diagnosis of BP. After the definitive clinical diagnosis, theanimal was treated with enrofloxacin (Baytril Flavour®; 5 mg/kg once a day for 10 days), and prednisolone (Prediderm®;2 mg/kg once a day until further instructions). On the follow-up visit, 15 days later, the clinical picture had improved, andthe lesions had decreased. Continuity of the treatment was prescribed, along with a gradual decrease in the corticoid dose.The dose of prednisolone was initially reduced to 1 mg/kg once a day, and later to 0.5 mg/kg until improvement of theclinical status of the patient. Remission of the lesions was observed 13 weeks later...