Hair Follicle Dystrophy in a Litter of Domestic Cats Resembling Lanceolate Hair Mutant Mice
January 2021
in “
Veterinary dermatology
”
TLDR A litter of cats had a hair condition similar to a mouse mutation, leading to hair loss and abnormal hair and skin.
The study described a rare congenital hair shaft anomaly in a litter of four domestic shorthair (DSH) cats, which resembled the lanceolate hair phenotype seen in certain mutant mice. The affected cats exhibited progressive, non-inflammatory alopecia. Histopathological evaluation, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray element analysis revealed structural defects in the hair shafts and follicles, including swollen hair shafts and a significant reduction in sulfur content, indicative of trichothiodystrophy. These findings were comparable to those observed in mutant mice with specific genetic mutations in adhesion or keratin genes. The study highlighted a unique form of congenital alopecia resulting in follicular dystrophy in cats.
