Profile of canine atopic dermatitis in Salvador – Brazil

Abstract

The canine atopic dermatitis presented as a Type I hypersensitivity reaction mediated by immunoglobulin E (IgE) and defects in the epidermal barrier and the coding of adhesion proteins. By owning a hereditary involvement in its pathogenesis, family history, as well as racial predisposition, they are important risk factors for developing this disease. Despite being described in other regions of Brazil as the second most common allergic disease in Bahia is little information about the frequency of this skin disease. Thus, the objective is to determine the frequency of canine atopic dermatitis at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the city Salvador, Bahia. Therefore, we analyzed the 3375 records of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, which accounted for all new appointments in the period January to December 2012. Within this universe were separated and cataloged the medical records that had skin complaints. Thus, the results showed that 21.5% of the chips were related to the integumentary system diseases, and among these, 17.9% were consistent with allergic diseases. Almost 30% of these reactions corresponded to atopy, confirming it as the second most frequent hypersensitivity condition at University Veterinary Hospital. This study demonstrates that skin diseases are among the main complaints in the clinical routine and reiterates the need for a national tracing epidemiological profile of dermatologic disorders.