A case of feline paraneoplastic alopecia associated with a pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Abstract

A 12-year-old intact male Domestic Shorthair cat is described with anorexia, diarrhea and lethargy. Alopecia was noted around the nasal planum, the eyes and the mouth, and on the medial forelimbs and ventral abdomen. The footpads were soft and painful. There was no pruritus. The skin of the forelimbs had a shiny appearance. Euthanasia was requested by the owner and necropsy revealed an adenocarcinoma of the pancreas with metastatic lesions in the liver and the omentum. Post-mortem examination of the skin revealed marked follicular atrophy and miniaturization. The cat in this report had a glistening alopecia, despite the presence of the stratum corneum and the absence of pruritus.