[Diagnosis and therapy of a dog with an atypical eosinophilic cellulitis]

A 6 years old female bernese mountain dog was seen for a nodular and erythemato-edematous dermatosis resistant to therapy. The histopathological exam showed a eosinophilic cellulitis with flame figures, which are caracteristic for the Wells' syndrome in human. A combined treatment with marbofloxacin and prednisolone brought first a stabilisation of the disease. The cutaneous lesions worsened however at the end of the antibiotic treatment, after reduction of the steroid dosage. The prescription of dapsone did not change the clinical image, which motivated the owner to euthanize the dog. This case report is presented to make practitioners aware of a rare but particularly challenging dermatological problem.