Eosinophilic plaques in cats. Eosinophilic bone granuloma

The content of the article

Eosinophilic bone granuloma(synonym for the disease: Taratynov’s disease) is a disease from the group of histiocytosis X.
Eosinophilic bone granuloma is formed as a result of intraosseous proliferation and infiltration of bone tissue by histiocytes and eosinophils, followed by fibrosis. Eosinophilic bone granuloma was described by N. I. Taratynov in 1914.
Etiology eosinophilic granuloma of bone is not known. A single eosinophilic bone granuloma occurs predominantly in children and young people, most often men. The disease is characterized by the appearance of single osteolytic formations of the femurs, pelvic bones, skull, ribs, vertebrae; it begins with pain, swelling at the site of the lesion, and pathological fractures are possible. Internal organs and blood are not affected in eosinophilic bone granuloma; blood eosinophilia is not typical.
Diagnosis is placed on the basis of biopsy data: the biopsy specimen reveals well-differentiated histiocytes, mature eosinophils, tissue necrosis with transition to sclerosis.
Treatment consists in the surgical removal of the granuloma or radiation therapy (if the affected area is inaccessible). Spontaneous recovery is possible. With eosinophilic granuloma of the bones, prevention of compression fractures of the spine is necessary.

Multiple eosinophilic granuloma of bone

Multiple eosinophilic granuloma of bones is a disease from the group of histiocytosis X of childhood.
Children, mostly under 5 years of age, are affected.
Eosinophilic granuloma multiplex of the bones mainly affects flat bones. General symptoms: lack of appetite, nausea, fever, lymphadenopathy in 50% of patients, sometimes hepatosplenomegaly. Often, multiple eosinophilic granuloma of the bones is accompanied by seborrheic dermatitis, it is characterized by mastoiditis with otitis media, frequent respiratory diseases. In 25% of patients with multiple eosinophilic granuloma of bones, a triad is observed (Hand-Schuller-Christian syndrome); eosinophilic granuloma of the skull bones, exophthalmos, diabetes insipidus. Patients may develop Loeffler's syndrome; blood eosinophilia is not typical.
Diagnosis placed on the basis of biopsy data. The prognosis depends on the degree of dissemination, with a few granulomas, as a rule, favorable.
Treatment consists in the combined use of glucocorticosteroid drugs and immunosuppressants, spontaneous recovery is possible. Patients are recommended to be monitored by an orthopedist.

The eosinophilic granuloma complex is so named because of immune cells that are classified in veterinary medicine as eosinophils (belonging to a type of white blood cell). According to experts, they are the initiators of the disease. The article will consider the main causes and symptoms of the disease, as well as options for its effective treatment and prevention.

It should be said right away that absolutely exact factors that cause the development of eosinophilic granuloma in cats have not been established by science. However, statistics suggest that there are reasons that provoke the development of this disease to a greater extent. Here they are:

Sex and breed predisposition. Cats, due to the fact that hormonal disruptions occur more often in their bodies, are more susceptible to this disease than cats. Norwegian Forest cats are particularly vulnerable to this disease, but it often manifests itself in other breed lines.
Bad genetics of the pet.
Nonspecific and food allergies in a pet.
Dermatitis caused by tick and flea bites.
Cat hypersensitivity.

Despite the abundance of possible causes, the owner needs to know that granuloma, in most cases, is a specific manifestation of a general or local allergic reaction to an internal or external irritant.

Types and symptoms of the disease

At the moment, eosinophilic granuloma in cats is most often represented by the following forms:

The owner must understand that if pathology develops in the pet’s oral cavity, this will affect his food intake. The cat begins to eat poorly, which quickly leads to exhaustion of the body.

Diagnostics

Most experienced veterinarians will be able to determine the form of the pathology only by the appearance of the cat, which will help prescribe the correct treatment. However, it is better to make a diagnosis only after a biopsy and cytological sampling. This is done in order to exclude the oncological nature of the tumor.

A prerequisite for differential diagnosis will be:

scraping from the site of the cat's skin lesion;
exclusion of bacterial infection using cytological examination;
therapy against ticks and fleas;
a special diet to help determine if your cat has an allergen that is causing the rash.

Only after carrying out all the above manipulations can we say with confidence that the pet will be treated correctly for the type of illness that causes such a reaction in the body.

Treatment options

It is a clear identification of the cause that causes the cat’s painful condition that will help determine how favorable the prognosis will be and how long-term the subsequent treatment will be. Most cases are idiopathic and require symptomatic treatment. The veterinarian treating the cat can also prescribe it during seasonal exacerbations, even if the animal is on long-term treatment.

In animals up to 2-3 years of age, linear granulomas may disappear on their own, without additional intervention. As for drugs, prednisolone is a universal remedy that is effective in most of these skin lesions. Sometimes surgical removal is also used, especially in cases where the granuloma is well demarcated and single. Eosinophilic ulcers are particularly resistant to medication, but are easier to repair with a laser or scalpel.

I would like to immediately warn the owners that the percentage of relapses is high both when the tumor is removed by surgery, and when it is treated with drugs such as recombinant interferon. There is no panacea for eosinophilic granuloma. Therefore, we must expect that the treatment will be long and grueling, both for the pet and the owner.

If long-term treatment is planned, doctors often suggest using glucocorticoids (steroids); they relieve the inflammatory process and reduce itching in the animal. Please be aware that these hormonal treatments may cause serious side effects. There are also alternative treatments, for example:

Antihistamines. They can be used at home, but after consultation with a veterinarian. Relieves itching quite well.
Immunosuppressants. These include Chlorambucil and Cyclosporine. Useful if it is determined that the cause of the granuloma is an autoimmune disease.
Hydrocortisone. It also belongs to the group of hormonal drugs, but even its frequent use, with the correct dosage, does not cause harmful consequences.

Prevention

You can prevent a cat disease such as eosinophilic granuloma if you carefully monitor the health of your pet. First of all, you need to protect him from possible allergic reactions, as a form of hypersensitivity to flea or tick bites, or food components. Doing this is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. It is enough to buy your cat high-quality, hypoallergenic food and regularly check the skin and treat it with acaricidal agents.

Such preventative measures, along with hygiene and vaccinations, will help the cat stay healthy, and owners will not have to worry about the fact that their beautiful pet will be disfigured by an ugly granuloma.

Eosinophilic granuloma- This is the granulomatous phase of Hand-Schüller-Christian disease. Some authors consider eosinophilic granuloma as a tumor. Eosinophilic granuloma is a relatively rare disease. Eosinophilic granuloma occurs at any age, but mainly in children and young adults.

The disease (Langerhans cell histiocytosis) went through several names, including Hand–Schüller–Christian disease, Abt–Letterer–Siwe disease, and histiocytosis X, until it was renamed in 1985 by the histiocytosis research community.

Eosinophilic granuloma occurs as a focal osteolytic (bone dissolution) process in the bone with preferential localization in the calvarium (usually the frontal bone), ribs, long tubular bones, and pelvis. The temporal bone alone or with other foci is the favorite localization of eosinophilic granuloma.

With a single lesion of eosinophilic granuloma, the prognosis is good (fibrosis with spontaneous recovery is possible), but a transition to malignant histiocytosis is also observed. With multiple lesions of eosinophilic granuloma, the prognosis is poor.

The course of the disease of eosinophilic granuloma is similar to that of chronic purulent otitis media (suppuration from the ear, granulations or polyps in the external auditory canal, sometimes pain in the ear, often paresis of the facial nerve). Swelling is observed behind the auricle or (less often) anteriorly and upwardly, rarely - a fistula.

With an infiltrative lesion of the capsule, the endosteum of the labyrinth, the patient has symptoms of damage to the inner ear. X-ray examination reveals a bone defect without reactive sclerosis in the mastoid process or, more often, the temporal bone. Sometimes a bone tissue defect is palpated through edematous tissue. With a widespread process of eosinophilic granuloma, destruction (destruction) of the entire pyramid of the temporal bone with symptoms of damage is possible

Inflammatory processes are what most often have to deal with both human and veterinary medicine. They have different causes, dynamics, prognosis and outcome, and it can be difficult and even unsafe for the animal owner to make a diagnosis on their own. Eosinophilic granuloma is a fairly common and unsafe phenomenon, and its treatment without medical supervision can be fraught with the most dire consequences, of which the most harmless will be the ineffectiveness of therapy.

What kind of disease is this and what forms are there?

The name eosinophilic granuloma refers to a number of inflammatory processes occurring on the skin and mucous membranes of the pet. They have different forms, differing in clinical manifestations, course and localization.

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Let's consider the forms that are typical and occur more often than others:

Eosinophilic ulcer. Most often found on the upper lip on one or both sides. At the same time, the lip swells, the lesion can occupy a significant area, developing in a short time. If left untreated, the entire muzzle may soon become swollen, and symptoms will spread to other parts of the body, freeing them from fur. At the same time, the affected areas do not cause pain, but the tumor prevents swallowing, and the animal loses its appetite, which is fraught with liver disease.

Eosinophilic plaque. It is most often located on the cat's stomach, but it is not at all necessary - this form of inflammation can occur on any part of the body. It appears as very itchy sores in the form of dark pink or red cakes. The fur at the site of their occurrence falls off, and the itching forces the animal to constantly lick them. Over time, the cakes spread throughout the abdomen, increasing the affected area, and begin to get wet, as liquid forms inside them. There may be one or two of these ulcers, or maybe several dozen; their sizes also vary greatly. Shape - oval or round.

It most often affects the lips, tongue and palate, but can occur anywhere on an animal's skin. Another favorite place for granuloma is the inner surface of the thigh on the hind legs. The disease does not manifest itself very clearly, starting with some thickening of the skin, on which nodules appear over time, and the hair falls off. The nodules do not cause pain or itching and do not bother the pet, but in this form of the disease his lymph nodes increase in size. Males get sick more often and more often before one year of age.

Eosinophilic plaque. The disease can occur at any age and is characterized by hair loss and redness of the skin, which later develops into rashes and sores. The animal feels a strong, disturbing itch. The plaque likes to be located on the back, neck, and hips.

What causes

Modern science has dismissed the following reasons as the causative agent of the disease:

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At this time, veterinary thought is inclined to believe that eosinophilic granuloma is caused by autoimmune mechanisms, and it is a consequence of pathological processes that occur in the animal’s body, and not an independent disease. Basically, scientists are of the opinion that the disease develops as a result of the activity in the pet’s body of special leukocytes - eosinophils, the purpose of which is to block the path to viral and bacterial damage to the body.

Factors contributing to the development of an infectious disease are:

the animal's tendency to allergic reactions;
existing hypersensitivity;
the cat's body's reaction to food;
flea or tick dermatitis;
a tendency inherited by a pet.

How to detect: signs of damage

It is rare that an eosinophilic granuloma on an individual animal takes on one form, so to speak, in its pure form. Much more often, the disease manifests itself in the form of several of its varieties.

There is reason to suspect the presence of eosinophilic granuloma in cats if signs of inflammation appear, first of all, of the oral mucosa, but you should also not ignore ulcers and nodules that cause baldness, regardless of whether they itch or not.

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The symptoms it has depend on what form of the disease your animal has:

Ulcer- wounds on the upper lip on one or both sides or in the mouth, which have raised edges, bleed and turn into cancer in the absence or ineffective treatment, also threaten exhaustion and dehydration of the pet’s body, completely depriving it of the opportunity to eat and drink.
Plaques- round or oval raised formations covered with ulcers, most often located in the abdomen and mammary glands, as well as the thighs and anus, they often cause skin redness and erosion, especially since they are accompanied by severe itching and, as a result, licking and further spread .
Granuloma- a yellow, painless nodule that is rough to the touch on the chin and lips of a cat, sometimes on the back of the thigh, as well as on the pads of the paws, where it causes suffering to the animal and interferes with walking.
Plaque is characterized by the appearance receding hairline, the skin on which becomes red and inflamed, and subsequently becomes affected by ulcers.

Diagnostics

Symptoms similar to those of eosinophilic granuloma in cats are also characteristic of:

fungal infections;
bacterial infection;
viral pathology;
tumors, both benign and oncological;
abscesses and idiopathic diseases.

Important! Microscopic examination of the affected tissue will demonstrate a fairly typical picture of eosinophilic granuloma, and making the correct diagnosis will not be difficult for a specialist.

It is more difficult to distinguish one form of the disease from another, but, fortunately, there is no fundamental need for this, moreover, an experienced veterinarian will not have any particular difficulties, he will draw a conclusion based on a visual examination.

After the diagnosis is made, the cause that caused the disease should be identified. This may be a factor that went unnoticed by the owner:

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It is very difficult to identify an autoimmune disease, which in some cases can be the cause of eosinophilic granuloma. For the treatment of the identified pathology, the animal is not shown inpatient treatment, it can be carried out at home, but under the close supervision of the attending physician, who monitors the dynamics and, if necessary, corrects the treatment.

What to do: how to treat a sick cat

If you notice that the cat's hair falls out and the skin is inflamed in these areas, there are sores and growths, or the mucous membrane is affected, do not hesitate to visit a specialist. The veterinarian, having ruled out other diseases, many of which may be contagious or dangerous for the pet, having diagnosed “eosinophilic granuloma”, will give appropriate recommendations.

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Granuloma often occurs as an allergic reaction to contact (chemicals, bites) or internal (food or other ingested substance) irritants. Based on this, first of all, they adjust the cat’s diet: they put him on a diet with natural food, eliminate the new one and return to the old one, opt for medicinal hypoallergenic food, and the like.

In accordance with the form of the disease, the degree and severity of the lesion, the cat’s weight and the condition of her body, the doctor personally develops a treatment regimen for her:

Ulcers and other external manifestations on the skin are treated with corticosteroids like Lorinden S ointment.
To prevent the addition of a bacterial infection, which will significantly worsen the condition of the body and complicate the course of the disease, the animal is prescribed broad-spectrum antibiotics for a long period of 2 to 3 weeks.
Antihistamines are prescribed to induce remission: Prednisolone in a dosage of 2 mg per kilogram twice a day or Methylprednisolone acetate in an amount of 4 mg per kilogram of the cat’s weight for 2-3 weeks.

If the prescribed antihistamines are ineffective, the doctor may replace them with others, such as Dexamethasone. If it also does not help, it makes sense to clarify the diagnosis, and if it is confirmed, assuming an autoimmune cause, prescribe Doxycycline, Cyclosporine and other agents in accordance with the scheme.

Sometimes symptomatic treatment may not be prescribed at all, for example, if the cat has one or two small wounds that do not cause her any concern and do not progress. In this case, the veterinarian, after clarifying the diagnosis, may decide to limit himself to prevention and observation.

Prognosis for recovery

As in most cases, early detection of the disease and timely initiation of its treatment will give the maximum chance for recovery or long-term remission. If eosinophilic granuloma as an allergic reaction to the established substance, by excluding the cat's contact with it and conducting timely therapy, the owner will receive a fully recovered animal.

If the lesions were extensive, the pet will have to be treated for quite a long time with antihistamines, which, however, do not guarantee a favorable outcome. An older cat may need longer therapy, on average a week or two more than a young cat.

The prognosis depends not only on the duration of the disease and the degree of damage; there are a number of factors that influence the outcome of the disease:

age and condition of the body at the time of treatment;
cause of illness;
timely and accurate diagnosis;
effectiveness and rationality of the prescribed treatment regimen.

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Can a person get infected from a sick cat

No sane pet owner will ignore the appearance of bald patches, inflammatory lesions and suspicious neoplasms on the skin and mucous membranes of their pet, especially if they cause suffering and reduce the standard of living. In addition, many of them can be contagious to people, which will undoubtedly spur the owner’s determination to diagnose the disease and cure it as quickly as possible.

There are some similarities to the clinical manifestations of eosinophilic granuloma in cats that can be transmitted to humans, so it is extremely important to make a correct diagnosis as soon as possible.

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Eosinophilic granuloma itself is not a contagious disease, so people can safely treat their pet at home, without fear of catching an unpleasant disease from it. However, in any case, caution and hygiene and antiseptic rules should be observed, since you can accidentally infect your cat with an infection into existing lesions on the skin, and vice versa, to be infected by a bacteria that has joined and aggravated the pet’s condition.

Pets are completely dependent on people, and a responsible owner must be attentive to his charges, because they cannot say what is bothering them, so there is a risk of missing the onset of the disease, which means its timely cure.

Eosinophilic granuloma is quite common in cats. This dangerous disease also causes mucous membranes. In some cases, it can even turn into cancer. Granuloma should be treated under the strict supervision of a veterinarian. Otherwise, the death of the animal is not ruled out.

How and when it may appear

Unfortunately, doctors have not yet fully elucidated the causes of granulomas in cats. It is believed that this disease is not independent. Indeed, most often it manifests itself as a symptom of other problems. It could be:

animal hypersensitivity;
allergic skin pathologies;
food intolerance.

Most scientists agree that granuloma occurs due to the activity of eosinophils. This is the name of one of the types of leukocytes present in the blood of mammals.

Types of disease

The basis for diagnosis is anamnesis, clinical signs and the absence of other diseases with similar symptoms. Eosinophilic granuloma complex appears in cats in four main forms:

eosinophilic plaque;
granuloma itself;
eosinophilic plaque;
eosinophilic ulcer.

The main sign of the disease is the presence of inflammation of the skin and mucous membranes, as well as ulcerations. These forms of the disease differ from each other mainly only in the location of the latter and their type.

Eosinophilic plaque

This is a fairly common form of the disease known as feline eosinophilic granuloma. Its symptoms are usually pronounced. In this case, in a sick animal, ulcerations appear on almost any part of the body. But most often the plaques are found on the cat's thighs and abdomen. Their number can be anything - from 1-2 to several dozen. They have a clearly defined shape, oval or round. The skin of an animal can be affected by both small (0.5 cm) and large (up to 10 cm) plaques.

With this form, she becomes very restless, itches, bites herself, and demands attention. This is explained by the itching that accompanies the appearance of plaques. Over time, fluid forms inside such sores and flows out.

Eosinophilic granuloma: signs

In this case, nodular lesions appear on the animal’s body. They most often occur on the animal’s lips, the back of the thighs, in the mucocutaneous areas and on the face. Eosinophilic granuloma in cats is manifested mainly only by the actual presence of nodules. In this case, the animal does not show concern, since these lesions do not hurt or itch. When examining a cat, in addition to nodules, with this form of granuloma, enlarged lymph nodes are usually found.

Animals under the age of one year usually become ill with this form. However, it most often manifests itself in males.

Eosinophilic plaque

This form can affect cats of any age. Externally, eosinophilic plaque manifests itself in the form of baldness with redness of the skin. Severely itchy sores and rashes usually form on the affected areas. Bald patches with this form usually appear on the neck, hips and back of the animal. In most cases, they progress over time.

Eosinophilic ulcer

This form of the disease is manifested by the appearance of flat, hairless lesions on the cat's skin. Most often, the ulcer forms on the animal's upper lip. Sometimes lesions appear in the oral cavity (on both sides). In the latter case, symptoms such as difficulty swallowing and lack of desire to eat may occur. At the same time, due to chronic starvation, a cat may develop liver lipidosis.

What do you pay attention to when making a diagnosis?

As already mentioned, when diagnosing granuloma, among other things, the animal is checked for other diseases with similar symptoms. These include:

various types of bacterial infections;
fungal infections;
skin tumors.

To make an accurate diagnosis, the veterinary clinic performs thorough examinations of fingerprint smears. This reveals the presence of eosinophils in the blood.

What to do if detected

Eosinophilic granuloma in cats is a very serious disease. Therefore, if you notice any signs of it, you should immediately contact your veterinarian. Most often, this disease develops against the background of an animal’s allergy to some food product. Therefore, the first thing you should do is adjust your cat’s diet.

For the treatment of ulcers, Lorinden S is often prescribed for the occurrence of a disease such as eosinophilic granuloma in cats. This ointment is used to treat plaques on the animal’s body. General antibiotics are also prescribed. They should be given for 2-3 weeks. To achieve remission, methylprednisolone acetate is prescribed (4 mg/kg every 2-3 weeks). Instead of this drug, prednisolone (2 mg/kg orally every 12 hours) can be prescribed. These medications should be taken until all plaques disappear. On average, the course of treatment lasts 2-8 weeks.

Improvements when animals take these medications are usually observed within the first two weeks. Reduce the dose of medications taken gradually. Subsequently, preventive and maintenance courses must be prescribed. For example, your doctor may recommend taking methylprednisolone once every 2-3 months as needed.

Eosinophilic granuloma in cats: treatment with other medications

Sometimes it happens that the hormones methylprednisolone and prednisolone do not help with this disease. The animal’s plaques do not go away even after prolonged use. In this case, the following may be prescribed:

"Dexamethasone" (0.4 mg/kg every day).
"Triamcinolone" (0.8 mg/kg once a day).

If these drugs do not make the animal feel better, the doctor usually checks the correctness of the diagnosis. If it is confirmed, the following are prescribed:

"Doxycycline" (5-10 mg/kg twice a day).
Trimethoprim (125 mg twice a day).
Cyclosporine (25 mg per day for 8-14 weeks).

Some pet owners are concerned that feline eosinophilic granuloma can be transmitted to humans. You shouldn't be afraid of this. The disease is completely safe for people. You can treat your pet with prescribed medications at home.

Prevention

In order to prevent the development of the disease, you should first try to exclude the possibility of allergies. The cat's diet must be designed correctly. In addition, it is necessary to take preventive measures aimed at preventing the animal from becoming infected with fleas. As already mentioned, the bites of these insects often cause a disease such as eosinophilic granuloma in cats. How to process animal skin - you can read about this in the instructions included with the selected product. For prevention, sprays and drops are usually used once a month.

If necessary, after consulting with your veterinarian, you can give your allergic cat medications to prevent the development of granulomas. Most often in this case, acaricidal agents are prescribed. When deciding to treat a cat with drugs from this group, you should keep in mind that steroids sharply reduce immunity to the development of various types of bacterial diseases. Prevention using such medications, therefore, is possible only according to individual indications, taking into account the age of the cat, its breed, etc. Along with acaricides, the animal is usually prescribed drugs that support the immune system.