Histological and Dermatoscopic Description of Sphynx Cat Skin

August 2014 in “ Veterinary Dermatology ”

David W. Genovese, Tammy L. Johnson, Ken E. Lamb, Wallace D. Gram

hair follicle dysplasia infundibular hyperkeratosis keratin 71 KRT 71 mutants hair shaft keratinization

TLDR Sphynx cats have abnormal hair follicles and keratinization affecting their skin.

The study described the histological and dermatoscopic abnormalities in sphynx cat skin, focusing on 14 sphynx cats and comparing them with control cats. It found that sphynx cats exhibited hair follicle dysplasia, characterized by small, curved, and kinked follicles with infundibular hyperkeratosis and dilatation. The inner root sheath showed poorly defined Henle's layer and vacuolar-like changes. Despite these abnormalities, follicular density was similar to that of control cats. The hair shafts in sphynx cats were misshapen, smaller in diameter, and rarely medullated. These findings suggested abnormal hair shaft keratinization, similar to murine KRT 71 mutants, indicating that the hairless allele in sphynx cats affected keratin 71 expression.

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