Small Animal Dermatology Q&A 18

This question was provided by Manson Publishing as part of the OVAL Project. See more small animal dermatological questions

A 2-year-old male Siberian husky dog was presented for depigmentation of the lips. Closer examination revealed he was photophobic and had areas of depigmentation on the margins of the eyelid. The dog had difficulty navigating in the examination room, but the owner was not aware of any visual problems until the examination.

Question	Answer		Article
What is the most likely diagnosis?	Canine uveodermatologic syndrome. This is a rare autoimmune disease involving the skin and the eyes. It is believed to be caused by autoantibodies against melanin, gangliosides, and photoreceptors. There is no age or sex predilection, but breeds such as akitas, chow chows, samoyeds, and Siberian huskies appear to be predisposed.		Link to Article
What would the dermatological and ophthalmic examinations be looking for?	The disease is characterized by depigmentation of the skin and acute concurrent uveitis. Depigmentation may occur on the nose, lips, eyelids, footpads, scrotum, prepuce, anus, and hard palate. The disease causes uveitis, photophobia, blepharospasms, lacrimation, injected conjunctiva, corneal edema, retinal detachment, cataracts, and glaucoma. If left untreated, these dogs may develop blindness.		Link to Article
How should this disease be managed?	The skin lesions usually develop within 7–10 days of the ocular lesions; however, the owner is more likely to notice the depigmentation first. Because this disease can cause blindness, aggressive treatment and rapid diagnostics are indicated. Skin biopsies should be taken of the depigmented areas, and a thorough ocular examination performed. The eyes should be examined for uveitis. Life-long systemic glucocorticoids and azathioprine will be needed to control the disease, and periodic ocular examinations should be performed to monitor uveitis. The skin lesions may respond to therapy but should not be used as an indicator of remission. Dogs may have active ocular lesions even though the skin lesions are static or have repigmented.		Link to Article