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Diagnosis | Epitheliogenesis imperfecta: a hereditary cutaneous disorder of cattle

Lab Animal volume 34, pages 26–27 (2005)Cite this article

Epitheliogenesis imperfecta (EI) is a rare hereditary disorder. In cattle, EI is characterized by extensive epithelial defects of skin and mucosa that vary in size and location. Most often, these lesions consist of irregular and discontinuous patches of hair and skin usually on the distal extremities, and patches of missing mucosa in the oral cavity and on the tongue. EI has been reported in cattle1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8, including Angus3, Ayrshire4, Holstein-Friesian5, Jersey6,7, Shorthorn3, and Sahiwal8 breeds. EI has also been reported in a buffalo9, cats10, a cougar11, a dog12, horses 13,14,15,16,17, and sheep18,19,20.

Most reports of EI have only documented its occurrence, and consequently its pathogenesis was until recently poorly understood. Frey et al.21 found that cultured fibroblasts from a calf with EI produced less type-I collagen and a higher percentage of type-III collagen than fibroblasts from normal cattle. In addition, the cultured cells showed decreased synthesis of lipids, especially glycerides and cholesterol21.

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Acknowledgements

The author thanks Maureen Puccini for photographic support.

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Diagnosis | Epitheliogenesis imperfecta: a hereditary cutaneous disorder of cattle. Lab Anim 34, 26–27 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/laban0505-26

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