The usefulness of dermoscopy in canine pattern alopecia: a descriptive study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Dermoscopic studies evaluating noninflammatory, nonpruritic progressive alopecia attributable to pattern alopecia are currently unavailable. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the dermoscopic features observed in healthy skin of short coated dogs and compare these findings with those observed in dogs affected by pattern alopecia diagnosed by clinical and dermatopathological examination. ANIMALS: Thirty male and female, healthy, breed matched, young adult, short coated dogs (controls) and 30 male and female, young adult, short coated dogs affected by pattern alopecia. METHODS: Dermoscopy was performed with a Fotofinder II videodermoscope equipped with software that allowed the measurement of structures visualized in magnified images (20×-40×-70×). Skin biopsy samples were obtained from the thorax and evaluated dermoscopically for dermoscopic-histological correlation in affected dogs. RESULTS: Dermoscopic findings in canine pattern alopecia were hair shaft thinning, circle hairs and follicular keratin plugs; in the affected sun exposed areas there was a honeycomb-like pattern of pigmentation. Arborizing red lines reflecting vascularization were classified as a nonspecific finding because they were also common in healthy dogs. Dermoscopic features correlated with histology for selected hair follicle abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Although canine pattern alopecia is a visually striking disease, this study supports the value of dermoscopy for clinical examination and also opens promising perspectives for the identification of diagnostic dermoscopic patterns that may be useful for other skin disorders.

A utilização da dermatoscopia na Medicina Veterinária: Uma revisão sistemática de literatura

“…Foram encontrados 12 artigos, 5 (41,66%) sobre caninos, 4 (33,33%) sobre felinos e 3 (25%) sobre equinos. Estes trabalhos foram selecionados e revisados, sendo possível ter acesso na área de Medicina Veterinária, a trabalhos sobre dermatoscopia, com uso na avaliação da pele felina normal, dermatofitose felina e canina, padrão de alopecia em cães (Scarampella et al, 2015, Dong et al, 2016, Zanna et al, 2016, Scarampella et al, 2017, Scarampella & Roccabianca, 2018, avaliação de pele equina normal (Legnani et al, 2017, Tomich et al, 2017, Zniszczynska et al, 2021, malformações linfáticas dérmicas superficiais congênitas acrais em gatos (Legnani et al 2020) e descrição de padrão colorimétrico em cães com eritroderma (Cugmas & Struc, 2020, Cugmas et al, 2021.…”

“…O padrão de alopecia canina foi avaliado por dermatoscopia em 20 cães de pelos curtos além da descrição de características dermatoscópicas de um caso clínico de cão com alopecia areata com afinamento da haste do pelo, pelos circulares e tampões de queratina folicular, nas áreas expostas ao sol afetadas, havia também um padrão de pigmentação semelhante a um favo de mel (Zanna et al, 2016). Na alopecia areata foram observados obstrução do infundíbulo folicular com um material amarelo-marrom, poucos pelos quebrados, e pelos curtos que voltam a crescer surgindo individualmente dos óstios foliculares, rede pigmentada semelhante a favo de mel também foi detectada na pele interfolicular exposta ao sol (Scarampella & Roccabianca, 2018).…”

The use of dermoscopy to support the diagnosis of sarcoptic mange in two dogs

“…The techniques are considered rapid, noninvasive and easy-to-perform. 3,4 Dermoscopy has been used in cats and dogs to describe hair and skin pathological findings, 5,6 yet so far, the technique has not been used for the diagnosis of parasitoses. To the best of the authors' knowledge, we describe the first two cases in which dermoscopy is used for in vivo visualisation of adult mites in the diagnosis of canine scabies.…”

The use of photobiomodulation therapy in the treatment of hair cycle arrest in a Pembroke Welsh corgi

“…This tool has become increasingly popular in human and veterinary medicine. It has been used mainly for the characterisation and diagnosis of pigmented and non‐pigmented skin lesions, 15 but has also been used to assist in the noninvasive diagnosis and monitoring of hair disorders 16,17 . In a recent pilot study, videodermoscopy and the associated imaging software were utilised to describe several canine hair follicle parameters and appeared to be a well‐tolerated, non‐invasive diagnostic method for characterisation of hair follicle disorders in dogs 16 …”