A CASE OF FELINE PARANEOPLASTIC ALOPECIA WITH SECONDARY MALASSEZIA-ASSOCIATED DERMATITIS

A 13-year-old neutered female domestic shorthaired cat had progressive ventral abdominal alopecia attributed initially to hyperthyroidism. C orrective treatment by unilateral thyroidectomy did not, however, reso lve the dermatosis and the alopecia progressed to involve the whole ve ntral trunk, the lower limbs and the head. Pruritus of the Bower limbs was a prominent feature and was associated with the finding of Malass ezia on cytology; Malassezia-associated dermatitis was diagnosed. Reso lution of pruritus was seen after treatment with oral ketoconazole and a cleansing shampoo to eliminate the yeast, but severe polyphagia, sm all intestinal diarrhoea and polydipsia developed subsequently and the cat was euthanased, Necropsy revealed an exocrine pancreatic adenocar cinoma with hepatic metastases. The pancreatic, hepatic and dermatolog ical lesions were found to be typical of feline paraneoplastic alopeci a (FPA). Malassezia-associated dermatitis can be associated with pruri tus in cats with FPA.