Morphological aspects of the skin in felines with leishmaniasis: a histopathological study

Felines are susceptible toLeishmaniaspp. infection in endemic areas; however, histopathological studies on the organs of infected felines remain scarce. This study evaluated the inflammatory response and cutaneous parasitism in 13 naturally infected felines in Teresina, Piauí, Brazil. After diagnosis, the animals were euthanized, and skin fragments from the face, external ear, periocular region, muzzle, and dorsum were histopathologically analyzed. The cytology of the ear skin revealed amastigote forms ofLeishmaniaspp. in 84.62% of the felines, with this region being the most parasitized. The inflammatory infiltrate was mild-to-moderate in 38.5%, with a diffuse distribution in 77% of cases. Mononuclear cells predominated in 92%, while polymorphonuclear cells were rare (8%). Amastigote forms were discrete in 46%, and 46% presented with granulomatous dermatitis. The main epidermal changes were exocytosis (92.5%), acanthosis, and spongiosis (61.5%). These findings highlight the importance of histopathology as a diagnostic tool and contribute to the understanding of the pathogenesis of feline leishmaniasis, aiding in the development of diagnostic and therapeutic research.