Dermatology

Question 1

What is pruritis?

Answer 1

the sensation that provokes the desire to: lick, scratch, chew or rub

Question 2

What is the #1 reason we see derm patients?

Answer 2

pruritis

Question 3

What are the 4 action streps of itching?

Answer 3

licking, scratching, chewing or rubbing

Question 4

What are primary (underlying) factors and why are they relevant?

Answer 4

these are the triggers for the underlying problem
-allergic disease: atopy, adverse food reactions, contact allergy, flea allergy
-Ectoparasites
-inflammatory disease- infectious or autoimmune
-Disorders of cornification (seborrhea)

Question 5

What is the most important cause of pruritus?

Answer 5

Allergic disease
#2 is ectoparasites

Question 6

What are perpetuating (secondary) factors and why are they significant?

Answer 6

these change the way the patient looks and how they respond to treatment
-bacterial infections
-Malassezia dermatitis
-other infections: dermatophytes, fungal
-inappropriate treatment such as excess bathing
-behavior

Question 7

What tests are considered part of the dermatology database that prevents you from “missing the small stuff”

Answer 7

skin scrapings
impressions of yeast
trichogram
fungal evaluation

Question 8

What is the most common cause of what gps often refer to as “prednisone resistance”?

Answer 8

Malassezia pachydermatitis

Question 9

When should a follow up exam occur

Answer 9

2-4 weeks after initiation of treatment

Question 10

What are the benefits of avoiding shotgun therapy

Answer 10

gives a sense of efficacy
clears secondary problems allows a better view of the underlying problem

Question 11

What are the 4 categories that should be addressed when taking a history?

Answer 11

past medical hx
environmental hx
Diet hx
Hx of present condition

Question 12

What cs are evidence of pruritis?

Answer 12

alopecia
excoriations
saliva staining
broken hairs

Question 13

What is an important step of performing the skin scrape if we are looking for demodex?

Answer 13

squeeze the skin (kneading motion) gently prior to scraping to express the demodex out of the hair follicle

Question 14

T or F: in order to have a sufficient sample that can be diagnostic of demodex, there should be capillary hemorrhage present.

Answer 14

FALSE. if you knead the skin properly then you will have a good sample

Question 15

What is the diagnostic of choice to demonstrate presence of malessezia spp.?

Answer 15

impression smear

Question 16

What areas should be sampled for an impression smear if we are trying to find malessezia?

Answer 16

elbows, ventral neck, eyes, interdigital areas, armpits, inguinal area, lip folds

Question 17

T or F, when fixing a sample that we are looking for yeast, we should not leave smoke marks on the slide because that means we have cooked off the yeast

Answer 17

true

Question 18

The majority of dog breeds have hair in what phase?

Answer 18

70-90% are in the resting phase aka telogen phase

Question 19

What are diagnostics that can be used to diagnose dermatophytosis

Answer 19

wood’s lamp evaluation
KOH preparation
Fungal culture
histo of skin biopsy

Question 20

What is an important diagnostic for pruritic patients + why

Answer 20

fecal float because if they have ectoparasites then when they bite or chew they will swallow ectoparasites and the parasites