HISTOPATHOLOGY IN VETERINARY DERMATOLOGY: HISTORICAL RECORDS OF THIRTY YEARS OF DIAGNOSIS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF PATHOLOGY OF BOTUCATU MEDICAL SCHOOL, UNESP (1977-2007)

Abstract

The aim of the present study is to report all histopathological exams in veterinary dermatology performed during the period of 1977 to 2007 at the Department of Pathology of Botucatu Medical School, UNESP, in partnership with the Veterinary Medicine School and private veterinary clinicians. During this period, 1,534 cases were examined and the results were grouped and presented according to origin, species, breed, age, gender, annual distribution, anatomical localization of lesions and disease category (allergic, neoplastic tumors, non-neoplastic tumors, bacterial, fungal, immune-mediated, parasitic, endocrine, keratinization defects, psychogenic, acquired alopecias, genodermatosis, nutritional and miscellaneous). The results of this study evidenced that, in most cases, the establishment of a precise diagnosis is impaired due to missing information in exam requisition forms or errors in material collection and that standardization of these procedures is fundamental for reliable results.