A case of diet-related lymphocytic mural folliculitis in a cat

A 5-year-old cat developed a raised hair coat and adherent crusting lesions involving the skin of the head, dorsal neck and abdomen. Erosions were present on the lips and eyelids. The footpads were dry and scaly. Histopathology revealed infiltrative lymphocytic folliculitis, moderate lymphocytic infiltration into the epidermis and apoptotic epidermal cells. A restricted diet as the only therapy resulted in gradual resolution of the skin lesions. Despite an improvement in the dermatological condition, the cat increasingly lost all appetite and marked weight loss occurred. The cat died 4 months after presentation. Post-mortem revealed a perforated gastric ulcer and a mild to moderate inflammatory bowel disease. The clinical course of lesion resolution in this cat suggested a diet-related pathogenesis. The late finding of intestinal disease in a patient with diet-related skin disease is still interesting and needs to be evaluated by further case studies.