{"id":13630,"date":"2017-08-30T17:33:40","date_gmt":"2017-08-30T17:33:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/phosdev.com\/todaysveterinarypractice\/?p=13630"},"modified":"2022-02-14T20:02:37","modified_gmt":"2022-02-14T20:02:37","slug":"dermatology-diagnostics-skin-scrapes-hair-plucks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarypractice.com\/dermatology\/dermatology-diagnostics-skin-scrapes-hair-plucks\/","title":{"rendered":"Dermatology Diagnostics: Skin Scrapes, Hair Plucks, and More"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Parasites, such as chiggers and scabies-causing mites, can cause tremendous itching. Fungal organisms, such as dermatophytes, can affect the hair, resulting in fracturing and large areas of crusting, nodules, or excoriations. Not all dermal problems come from external threats; various breed-related issues, such as color-dilution alopecia, pattern baldness, and many autoimmune diseases, can develop over time. Normal inhabitants of the skin (eg, <em>Demodex<\/em> mites) can also create problems for many dogs. This article looks at how to investigate some dermal conditions in cats and dogs.<\/p>\n<h2>Skin Scrapes<\/h2>\n<p>Skin scrapes are typically performed with a #10 scalpel blade and are either deep or superficial (<strong>Figure 1<\/strong>). The key to success is to sample multiple sites and evaluate the microscope slide thoroughly in an orderly fashion (eg, scan in a \u201cdown, across, then down, across\u201d pattern). Although skin scrapes are helpful in diagnosing external parasites, false-negative results are possible. Chinese shar-peis may require a skin biopsy to determine the presence of <em>Demodex<\/em> mites.<sup>1<\/sup> Scabies mites on dogs are found only 20% to 50% of the time, depending on the number of sites scraped.<sup>2<\/sup><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_13631\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13631\" class=\"wp-image-13631 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/todaysveterinarypractice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/T1709C05_Fig01-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarypractice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/T1709C05_Fig01-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarypractice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/T1709C05_Fig01-768x575.jpg 768w, https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarypractice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/T1709C05_Fig01.jpg 801w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-13631\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure 1. Basic supplies for skin scrapes and hair plucks, clockwise from left: microscope slides, mineral oil, scalpel blade, hemostat. Courtesy of Animal Dermatology South, New Port Richey, Florida.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3>Deep Skin Scrapes<\/h3>\n<p>Deep scrapes are largely used to diagnose dogs with <em>Demodex<\/em> <em>canis<\/em> mites and cats with <em>Demodex cati<\/em> mites; however, more surface-oriented mites, such as scabies mites or <em>Cheyletiella<\/em> species, may also be found.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Place a few drops of mineral oil on a glass microscope slide.<\/li>\n<li>Hold a #10 scalpel blade firmly in one hand. With the other hand, gently collect a fold of skin on the trunk, or evert a pinna or interdigital space.<\/li>\n<li>Scoop a small amount of mineral oil onto the scalpel blade.<\/li>\n<li>Squeeze the skin in a fold of tissue between 2 fingers. In a single direction, scrape the skin fold, pinna, or paw with firm and constant pressure over a single site until a small amount of capillary oozing occurs.<\/li>\n<li>Apply the collected material and exudate to the glass slide containing mineral oil. Repeat 3 to 5 times to cover the slide.<\/li>\n<li>Evaluate under 4\u00d7magnification, then move to greater objectives for mite evaluation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Superficial Skin Scrapes<\/h3>\n<p>Superficial scrapes are used to detect <em>Demodex<\/em> <em>gatoi<\/em> mites in cats, <em>Notoedres cati <\/em>mites, and occasionally <em>Cheyletiella<\/em> mites.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Place a drop of mineral oil on a microscope slide.<\/li>\n<li>Apply a drop of mineral oil to a #10 scalpel blade.<\/li>\n<li>In a single, uniform direction, scrape with gentle and light pressure across a broad lesional surface.<\/li>\n<li>Place the debris on the microscope slide with mineral oil and examine on low power (4\u00d7and 10\u00d7) for mites.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Trichography (Hair Plucks)<\/h2>\n<p>This is one of my favorite diagnostic techniques because it is an easy and effective test that can be used for many disease processes, from infectious and parasitic conditions (eg, dermatophytosis, demodicosis) to various forms of alopecia (eg, color-dilution alopecia, alopecia areata). A good reference guide for hair shaft evaluation is <em>Muller &amp; Kirk<\/em><em>\u2019s Small Animal Dermatology<\/em>, 7th edition; this topic is discussed in the diagnostic methods section.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_13632\" style=\"width: 236px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13632\" class=\"wp-image-13632 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/todaysveterinarypractice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/T1709C05_Fig02-226x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"226\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarypractice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/T1709C05_Fig02-226x300.jpg 226w, https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarypractice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/T1709C05_Fig02.jpg 452w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 226px) 100vw, 226px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-13632\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure 2. Hemostat with solid locking mechanism. When performing hair plucks, grasp the hair shaft close to the skin. Courtesy of Animal Dermatology South.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>A good hemostat is essential for hair plucks. Many inexpensive hemostats do not grasp the hair well enough to pluck out 10 to 20 hairs at a time, and the hairs can slip through the jaws (<strong>Figure 2<\/strong>).<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Apply a few drops of mineral oil to a glass microscope slide.<\/li>\n<li>To pluck the hairs, grasp about 10 to 20 hairs<br \/>\nat a time at just about the surface of the skin and pull with a quick and deliberate motion in the direction perpendicular to the skin surface (this will help minimize patient discomfort, which is rare).<\/li>\n<li>Place the hairs on the microscope slide with mineral oil.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Evaluate the entire shaft of the hair for such conditions as dermatophytosis or color-dilution alopecia (<strong>Figure 3<\/strong>).<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Examine the hair bulb region for alopecia areata.<\/li>\n<li>Assess the area just above the bulb region for <em>Demodex<\/em> mites (<strong>Figure 4<\/strong>).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_13633\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13633\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13633\" src=\"https:\/\/todaysveterinarypractice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/T1709C05_Fig03-300x270.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"270\" srcset=\"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarypractice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/T1709C05_Fig03-300x270.jpg 300w, https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarypractice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/T1709C05_Fig03.jpg 666w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-13633\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure 3. Hair with visible melanin clumping in the shaft, indicating color dilution alopecia, 100\u00d7 magnification. Courtesy of Animal Dermatology South.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_13634\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13634\" class=\"wp-image-13634 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/todaysveterinarypractice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/T1709C05_Fig04-300x223.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"223\" srcset=\"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarypractice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/T1709C05_Fig04-300x223.jpg 300w, https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarypractice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/T1709C05_Fig04-768x571.jpg 768w, https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarypractice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/T1709C05_Fig04.jpg 807w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-13634\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure 4. Hair with Demodex canis mites at the proximal shaft, 100\u00d7 magnification. Courtesy of Animal Dermatology South.<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"su-spacer\" style=\"height:10px\"><\/div>\n<p>Dermatophytes can be observed on hairs with spores or hyphae. Some authors recommend digesting the keratin to observe these structures more readily, but this is not always needed. A formula called chlorphenolac has been used to replace KOH preparation solution; this formulation consists of 50 g of chloral hydrate added to 25 mL liquid phenol and 25 mL of liquid lactic acid (note: it may take several days for crystals to go into solution).<sup>1<\/sup><\/p>\n<h2>Wood\u2019s Lamp<\/h2>\n<p>Wood\u2019s lamp evaluation for dermatophytosis is an easy and useful tool. It is a good screening test, although false-positive and false-negative results often occur. Only 30% to 80% of <em>Microsporum canis<\/em> isolates fluoresce, and <em>Microsporum gypseum<\/em> and <em>Trichophyton mentagrophytes<\/em> do not fluoresce under a Wood\u2019s lamp.<sup>1<\/sup> Occasionally, lint, dander, and organic debris can fluoresce and give a false-positive result. Dermatophytes produce an apple-green color upon fluorescence (<strong>Figure 5<\/strong>). Other, less common, species of dermatophytes that fluoresce are <em>Microsporum audouinii<\/em>, <em>Microsporum distortum<\/em>, and <em>Trichophyton schoenleinii<\/em>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_13635\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13635\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13635\" src=\"https:\/\/todaysveterinarypractice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/T1709C05_Fig05-300x98.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"98\" srcset=\"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarypractice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/T1709C05_Fig05-300x98.jpg 300w, https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarypractice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/T1709C05_Fig05-1024x336.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarypractice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/T1709C05_Fig05-768x252.jpg 768w, https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarypractice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/T1709C05_Fig05-1536x504.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarypractice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/T1709C05_Fig05.jpg 1829w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-13635\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure 5. Feline dermatophytosis (A) in room light and (B) under a Wood\u2019s lamp. Courtesy of Animal Dermatology South.<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"su-spacer\" style=\"height:10px\"><\/div>\n<h2>Tale Stripping<\/h2>\n<p>Clear acetate tape impressions are helpful to identify mites, such as <em>Cheyletiella<\/em> species, poultry mites, and cat fur mites.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Press the tape, sticky side down, directly onto lesional sites.<\/li>\n<li>Place the tape onto a microscope slide for direct evaluation.<sup>1<\/sup><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Flea Combing<\/h2>\n<p>Flea combs are easy to use and allow direct evaluation for mites, such as <em>Cheyletiella<\/em> species; fleas; and flea excrement.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Place a few drops of mineral oil on a glass microscope slide.<\/li>\n<li>With the comb, use long, broad strokes from cranial to caudal to collect hair and debris. The material is collected on the tines of the comb.<\/li>\n<li>Remove the material from the comb and visually inspect it for fleas and flea debris.<\/li>\n<li>Place the hair onto the microscope slide containing mineral oil and evaluate it microscopically for mites.<\/li>\n<li>Place suspected flea excrement on a moistened piece of paper towel or gauze; dissolution into a reddish-brown color indicates flea excrement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Fecal Flotation<\/h2>\n<p>A recent study found that fecal flotation (Sheather\u2019s solution, filtered and centrifuged) from cat stool samples detected various parasitic mites, including <em>D gatoi<\/em>, <em>N cati<\/em>, <em>Lynxacarus radovskyi<\/em>, <em>Cheyletiella<\/em> species, chigger mites, and <em>Otodectes cynotis<\/em>.<sup>3<\/sup> This study used flea combing, acetate tape preps, superficial skin scrapings, and ear swabs to evaluate detection methods in community cats in the Ohio River Valley region of the United States. With the exception of only chigger mites and <em>O cynotis <\/em>being found on ear swabs, all mites listed above were found with each detection method. Although the numbers of mites found with each detection method varied, fecal flotation detected more free-living mites than parasitic mites. This must be considered a potential false-positive result unless one is well educated in distinguishing parasitic from free-living mites in stool samples. Many of these cats did not have dermatologic disease upon examination, and fecal flotation may serve as a good surveillance method for mite detection when evaluated at yearly examinations.<\/p>\n<h2>Photographs<\/h2>\n<p>Photographs of positive findings using any of the diagnostic methods can provide the pet owner a good image of whatever pathogen is found. Photographs can also be uploaded to a pet\u2019s file in many of the currently used patient software systems. A digital camera, iPhone microscope adapter, and specialized cameras that attach to microscopes are all good options.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When investigating dermal conditions in cats and dogs, it\u2019s crucial to follow the appropriate technique and procedure for the problem.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":13637,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"iawp_total_views":10281,"footnotes":""},"categories":[352],"tags":[13],"class_list":["post-13630","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-september-october-2017","tag-peer-reviewed","column-features","clinical_topics-dermatology"],"acf":{"hide_sidebar":false,"hide_sidebar_ad":false,"hide_all_ads":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.7 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Dermatology Diagnostics: Skin Scrapes, Hair Plucks, and More | Today&#039;s Veterinary Practice<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When investigating dermal conditions in cats and dogs, it\u2019s crucial to follow the appropriate technique and procedure for the problem.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dermatology Diagnostics: Skin Scrapes, Hair Plucks, and More\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When investigating dermal conditions in cats and dogs, it\u2019s crucial to follow the appropriate technique and procedure for the problem.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarypractice.com\/dermatology\/dermatology-diagnostics-skin-scrapes-hair-plucks\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Today&#039;s Veterinary Practice\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/todaysveterinarypractice\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-08-30T17:33:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-02-14T20:02:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarypractice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2017\/08\/T1709C05_Slider.gif\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"990\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"419\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/gif\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Eric D. 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