A Case of Refractory Nasal Dermatomyositis-Like Disease in an Adult Poodle
10.17555/jvc.2025.42.4.218
- Author:
Songju OH
;
Keunhwan JANG
;
Seung-Bum CHO
;
Suyeon KIM
;
Jungwoo HAN
;
Ha-Jung KIM
- Publication Type:Case Report
- From:
Journal of Veterinary Clinics
2025;42(4):218-224
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
A 10-year-old spayed female Toy Poodle dog presented with nasal edema, erythema, pain, pruritus, and discharge. The size of the lesion had gradually increased, measuring 29 × 22.8 × 17.8 mm at the first visit. No infection was detected on microscopic cytologic evaluation of the nasal discharge. On radiography and computed tomography (CT), the nasal septum structure was normal, and bony invasion was not identified. On rhinoscopy, the soft tissues were thickened and erythematous. Decreased lumen diameter and severe congestion were found in the right nasal cavity. On histopathological examination of the right dorsal nasal skin lesion, there was multifocal-to-coalescing moderate-to-severe inflammation and fibrosis in the deep dermis and skeletal muscle layer. The inflammatory cells were primarily lymphocytes and plasma cells. Based on the patient history and test results, the patient was diagnosed with canine dermatomyositis. Treatment included immunosuppressive agents (prednisolone and cyclosporine) and antibiotics (amoxicillin/clavulanate). This treatment reduced the nasal edema, erythema, and lesion size. The diameter of the edematous area decreased by approximately 40%, with an 80% reduction in nasal discharge, and the dog demonstrated clinical benefits at a follow-up visit at 17 weeks. Although canine dermatomyositis usually develops before six months of age, this report demonstrates that this disease can also occur in adult dogs. Additionally, this is the first reported case of a dermatomyositis-like disease in a small breed dog which was histologically diagnosed and further characterized using immunohistochemistry, including VEGF and T-cell markers such as CD4 and CD8. The patient showed a favorable response to immunosuppressive therapy.
