A Retrospective Review of Hyperaesthetic Leucotrichia in Horses in the USA

    July 2016 in “ Veterinary dermatology ”
    Elizabeth C. Goodale, Stephen D. White, Catherine A. Outerbridge, Angela Everett, Verena K. Affolter
    TLDR Hyperaesthetic leucotrichia in horses causes painful, recurring skin lesions and hair color changes, especially in Arabian and American paint horses.
    The study reviewed medical records from 1985 to 2015 and identified 15 horses with hyperaesthetic leucotrichia (HL), a condition causing painful lesions and leucotrichia, primarily affecting Arabian and American paint horses. Clinical signs included pain, leucotrichia, crusting, and alopecia, with lesions recurring seasonally in some cases. Histological analysis revealed large stellate cells, oedema, lymphocytic inflammation, pigmentary incontinence, apoptotic keratinocytes, and vesicle formation. Compared to erythema multiforme (EM), HL had more pigmentary incontinence and superficial dermal oedema, while EM showed more acanthosis, lymphocytic exocytosis, satellitosis, and inflammation. The study concluded that HL shares some histological features with EM but also has significant differences.
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