78 (130)

Parasitic dermatoses like notoedric⁴² or demodectic mange⁴³, which are clinically very severe and usually involve large infestations, can be seen in retrovirus-positive cats (Table 7:1). Diagnosis by skin scraping is easy. The prognosis is very guarded especially for feline generalised demodicosis⁴³.

Retrovirus / skin tumour relationship

The relationship between retroviruses and tumours has been the focus of many studies^2I'²². Generally speaking, tumours associated with retroviruses seem to be mostly lymphoid tumours and, less

Table 7:1: Opportunistic skin infections seen in FeLV and/or FIV-positive cats

MYCOSES^{37 41}_

1    - Superficial mycoses

-    Generalised dermatophytosis caused by Microsporum canis

2    - Deep mycoses - subcutaneous

-    Eumycetoma caused by Microsporum canis

-    Mucormycosis

Rhizomucor spp., Mortierella spp.

-    Hyalohyphomycosis

Fusarium spp., Paecilomyces spp.

-    Phaeohyphomycosis

Alternaria spp, Bipoloris spp, Cladosporium spp, Curvularia spp., Exophiala spp, Moniliella spp, Phialophora spp, Scolecobasidium spp and Stemphyllium spp.

-    Pythiosis

Pythium insidiosum

3    - Deep mycoses - systemie

-    Rhodotorula infection

Rhodotorula mucilaginosa

-    Cryptococcosis

Cryptococcus neoformans

-    Histoplasmosis

Histoplasma capsulatum

-    Sporotrichosis

Sporothrix schenckii

BACTER1AL SKIN INFECTIONS ³¹⁴¹¹

1    - Bacterial paronychia

2    - Atypical mycobacterial infection

■    Mycobacterium fortuitum

-    Mycobacterium chelonae

-    Mycobacterium smegmatis

3    - Nocardiosis

-    Nocardia asteroides

4    - Actinomycosis

• Actinomyces spp.

5    - Botryomycosis

-    Staphylococcus spp.

■    Streptococcus spp.

-    Pseudomonas spp.

-    Proteus spp.

■    Actinobacillus spp.

PARASITIC SKIN INFECTIONS ^{42 43}

1    ■ Notoedric mange

-    Notoedres cati

2    - Demodicosis

-    Demodex cati

-    Demodex gatoi

commonly, myeloid tumours, carcinomas and sarcomas. However, no prospective study has been conducted to investigate an association between retroviruses and cutaneous lymphomas in cats, which otherwise are rare. Multicentric sąuamous celi carcinoma in situ (Bowen’s disease) has been reported in FIV-positive cats^l8'²⁰. This seropositive State might help reinforce the local immunodeficiency which allows Demodex cati to multiply locally within tumours²⁰.