Skin Immunologic - Pathology
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General
- Classification:
- Hypersensitivity - response to normally harmless substances
- Auto-immune - antobodies or T-cells reactive against self-antigens
- Mostly involves mixture of types described below
Autoimmune reactions
Bullous Pemphigoid
Canine Dermatomyositis
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
- Systemic (SLE)
- Multiple organs involved
- Cats, dogs, horses
- Immune dysregulation:
- Damaged T-cell suppressor function, either primary deficiency or antibody mediated
- Cytokine dysregulation
- Resulting B-cell hyperactivity -> antibodies to self antigens -> antigen-antibody complexes deposited in various tissues -> Type III hypersensitivity
- Lesions localised or generalised
- Erythema, alopecia, depigmentation, crusting and scaling, ulceration
- Microscopically: lymphohistiocytic interface dermatitis, thickened basement membrane, vasculitis, subepidermal vesicles, basal cell degeneration
- Discoid
- Milder variant of systemic
- Depigmentation, erythema, scaling, erosions, ulceration, crusting
- Usually involves nasal planum, dorsum of muzzle, occasionally pinnae, lips, oral mucosa or periocular area
- Microscopically: lichenoid interface dermatitis, often with lymphocytes, plasma cells, basal cell degeneration, loss of pigment