Congenital hypotrichosis

• Cause: rare congenital disorder of hair follicles.
• Signs: decreased or absent hair coat from birth.
• Diagnosis: clinical signs +/- skin biopsy Biopsy: skin.
• Treatment: none.
• Prognosis: cosmetic only.
• Pili tortiis a separate, rare, congenital disorder with rotation of the secondary hairs.
• Diffuse thinning of hair coat by 10 days  →  generated alopecia, pedal dermatitis and paronychia.

Presenting signs

• Kittens born hairless or with thin downy pelage which is lost within few weeks   .
• Greasy skin with facial scaling and crusting secondary to trauma induced by mother's tongue.
• Burmese kittens: no whiskers, claws or papilla on tongue.

• Some hair growth by 8-10 weeks; lost again by 6 months.
• Pili torti is a separate, rare, congenital disorder. There is rotation of the secondary hairs along the length of the shaft leading to a diffuse thinning of the hair coat by 10 days  →  generalized alopecia   Alopecia: overview, pedal dermatitis and paronychia. Affected cats die or euthanazed within 2 months.

Acute presentation

• Burmese Burmese kittens may be born dead or stunted if associated with other congenital abnormalities.

Age predisposition

• At birth/neonate.

Gender predisposition

• Not a sex-linked disorder.

Breed/Species predisposition

• Birman Birman.
• Burmese Burmese.
• Devon Rex Devon Rex.
• Cornish Rex Cornish Rex.
• Siamese Siamese.
• Mexican.

Cost considerations

• Sunblock.

Special risks

• Actinic dermatitis Dermatitis: solar with exposure to sunlight.