Feline idiopathic ulcerative dermatitis

Question 1

What is feline idiopathic ulcerative dermatitis

Answer 1

Feline idiopathic ulcerative dermatitis is also named feline idiopathic head and neck dermatitis

It is considered as a rare skin disease of unknown origin

Question 2

What are the classical clinical signs of FIUD

Answer 2

FIUD is usually associated with a crusted, non-healing, self-induced ulcer occuring most commonly on the dorsal or lateral neck, on the temporal areas or between the scapulae where self-grooming by scratching occurs

Question 3

What is the current thought cause of FIUD

Answer 3

A recent study demonstrated that major modifications of the cat’s environment and the human-cat relationship resulted in healing of ulcerative lesions within 15 days and pruritus stopped within 2 days
- these results suggest that FIUD is a behavioral disorder indicative of poor welfare and that it requires environmental modifications

Question 4

Which environmental modification seems to be the most important point

Answer 4

Free access to outdoor (for instance with cat door installation) seems to be the trigger of an insured healing for many cats

Question 5

What is the median age of cats suffering FIUD

Answer 5

19 months

Question 6

What is the suspected pathomechanism for FIUD

Answer 6

The release of peripheral inflammatory mediators by scratching sensitizes pruriceptors (peripheral sensitization)
- this chronic skin inflammation facilitates spinal and central itch processing, resulting in touch-evoked pruritus (central sensitization)

The existence of central sensitization for itch improves our understanding of psychogenic pruritus and of the transitory efficiency of antipruritic treatment
- transitory efficiency of corticosteroids, observed in the majority of cats, could be explained by its action on the peripheral and central inflammation
- in humans, brain inflammation is described with obsessive compulsive disorder