Most dogs were young (median: 1.2-year-old) with a male-to-female ratio of 2.3:1.
Nine of 20 dogs (45%) developed lesions before one year of age and 11 of 20 dogs (55%) were great danes.
Tense vesicles and bullae (18 of 20; 90%) and deep erosions and ulcers (20 of 20; 100%) were the most common lesions and these affected predominantly the oral cavity (19 of 20; 95%), pinnae (16 of 20; 80%), axillae (15 of 20; 75%) and footpads (14 of 20; 70%).
Histopathology identified neutrophilic perivascular dermatitis (17 of 17; 100%) without or with (12 of 17; 71%) eosinophils, which occasionally equalled (four cases) or outnumbered neutrophils (two cases).
Subepidermal vesicles were either devoid of inflammation or contained neutrophils with or without eosinophils, fibrin and/or haemorrhage.
A complete remission of skin lesions was obtained in 14 dogs with a median time of 58 days. Glucocorticoids were used in these dogs either as a monotherapy (3 of 14; 21%) or in combination with other immunomodulating drugs (11 of 14; 79%).
The median dose of prednisone was 3 mg/kg/day.
The remaining six dogs were euthanized.
Canine EBA is a rare subepidermal blistering disease with an inflammatory phenotype and a predilection for young great danes and male dogs.
The outcome of treatment appears more favourable than assumed previously.
Source: Bizikova, P., Linder, K. E., Wofford, J. A., Mamo, L. B., Dunston, S. M. and Olivry, T. (2015), Canine epidermolysis bullosa acquisita: a retrospective study of 20 cases. Veterinary Dermatology, 26: 441–e103. doi: 10.1111/vde.12255
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