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Skin: deep folliculitis and furunculosis
Introduction
- Cause: follicular infection that breaks through hair follicle → furunculosis.
- Begins as surface or follicular infection (bacterial, fungal or parasitic).
- Signs: vary from discrete papular lesions to poorly demarcated areas of alopecia, tissue swelling and inflammation.
- Certain types clinically distinctive entities, eg canine acne Skin: canine 'acne' , pododermatitis and furunculosis Skin: pododermatitis and furunculosis , idiopathic furunculosis of German Shepherd Dog Skin: 'idiopathic' furunculosis (German Shepherd Dog) , pyotraumatic folliculitis Skin: pyotraumatic folliculitis , callus dermatitis.
- Diagnosis: signs, histopathology.
- Treatment: antibiotics.
- Prognosis: good with treatment.
Presenting signs
- Localized or generalized skin disease.
- May occur anywhere on body where there are hair follicles, most common over pressure points or on the trunk.
- Overlying coat matted with dried exudate.
- Papules, pustules, furuncles and discharging sinuses.
- Alopecia, tissue swelling and inflammation.
- Erythema, edema and ulceration
.
- Draining fistulas, hemorrhagic crusts and necrosis.
- Hyperpigmentation and lichenification.
- Malodor, pain, pruritus.
- Depression in generalized cases.
Pathogenesis
Predisposing factors
General
- Demodicosis Skin: demodectic mange.
- Hyperadrenocorticism Hyperadrenocorticism.
- Long-term glucocorticoids.
- Hypersensitivity.
- Ectoparasites Skin: parasitic disease - overview.
- Endocrine/metabolic disease.
- Immunologic incompetency, eg neoplasia.
- Poor nutrition.
- Unhygienic environment.
- Anatomical factors, eg facial, lip, tail, vulvar and body folds.
- Environmental factors, eg high temperature and humidity.
- External trauma.
- Viral infection.
- Idiopathic keratinization defects.
Specific
- Staphylococcus intermedius Staphylococcus intermedius.
- Staphylococcus aureus Staphylococcus aureus.
- Streptococcus spp Streptococcus spp.
- Pseudomona sspp Pseudomonas.
- Proteus spp Proteus spp.
- Nocardia Nocardia spp.
- Dermatophilus.
- Mycobacterium spp.
- Escherichia coli Escherichia coli.
Pathophysiology
- See also anal furunculosis Perianal fistula.
- Continuation of superficial pyoderma deeper into follicles → rupture of follicular wall → pyogranulomatous perifolliculitis or furunculosis in dermis and subcutis → extension along tissue planes → fistulae on surface or cellulitis and panniculitis in subcutaneous and fatty tissues.
- Consequentially, the dual problems of infection and foreign body granulomas co-exist.
Diagnosis
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Treatment
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Prevention
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Outcomes
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Further Reading
Publications
Refereed papers
- Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.
- Scott D W et al (1998) Efficacy of clindamycin hydrochloride capsules for the treatment of deep pyoderma due to Staphyloccus intermedius infection in dogs. Can Vet J 39 (12), 753-756 PubMed.
- Krick S A & Scott D W (1989) Bacterial folliculitis, furunculosis and cellulitis in the German Shepherd dog - a retrospective analysis of 17 cases. JAAHA 25 (1), 23-30 VetMedResource.