Thymoma-associated exfoliative dermatitis in cats

Five cases of exfoliative dermatitis in cats were presented from 1996 to 2002 in which a feline thymoma was found by postmortem or postsurgical examination. Besides abundant exfoliation of keratin squames and layers, the histologic picture of the skin revealed a similar pattern of interface dermatitis with predominantly CD3+ lymphocytes and fewer mast cells and plasma cells. In the epidermal basal layer a hydropic degeneration of keratinocytes was present. In all cases an infundibular lymphocytic mural folliculitis and absence of or drastic decrease in the number of sebaceous glands occurred. In addition to the so far described cell-poor type, we also found examples of a cell-rich skin lesion. Together with the clinical observation of generalized exfoliative dermatitis, the histologic pattern of this dermatitis was suggestive of an underlying thymoma. The pathogenesis of this skin disease in association with thymic neoplasia remains obscure, and our results contradict the hypothesis of production of autoantibodies that cross-react with epithelial antigens. The morphology of the thymomas and CD3 expression of the thymocytes varied and did not seem to have an impact on the dermal lesions.