Oral Inflammation in Small Animals

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvsm.2013.02.004Get rights and content

Section snippets

Key points

  • •

    In mammalian tissue, inflammation is a highly integrated, elaborate response to insult or injury.

  • •

    Its primary purpose is to contain and remove offending microorganisms and necrotic tissue, preventing infection and facilitating tissue healing.

  • •

    An aberrant or accentuated inflammatory process can itself cause tissue injury and dysfunction.

  • •

    As ongoing research yields an increasing understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that modulate inflammation, efforts to treat and prevent oral

Inflammation associated with dental disease

Localized ulceration or swelling limited to the gingiva and alveolar mucosa may be associated with a periodontal or endodontic abscess. Periodontal abscesses are typically associated with swelling and redness of the gingiva surrounding a single tooth, contiguous to a periodontal pocket (Fig. 1A).2 Gentle pressure on the swollen tissue generally results in expression of purulent exudate. If a draining tract is present, it is coronal to the mucogingival junction. Periodontal abscesses may be

Infectious conditions

Acute ulceration of the oral mucosa and/or tongue has been associated with feline calicivirus,9, 10, 11, 12, 13 feline herpesvirus,14, 15 feline panleukopenia,16 feline leukemia virus,14 feline immunodeficiency virus,17, 18, 19 and canine parvovirus.20, 21 (There are also 2 reports from India of fungal-related stomatitis in dogs.22, 23) Affected animals almost always display many other symptoms suggestive of systemic illness, such as lethargy, fever, and hematological and serum biochemical

Feline Chronic Gingivostomatitis

Of the oral inflammatory diseases commonly seen in veterinary practice, feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS) has been the most researched, yet its etiology remains largely undetermined. Although several studies have found a higher prevalence of feline calicivirus in cats with FCGS than in nonaffected cats,11, 33, 34, 35 and transient oral ulceration has been observed in cats with acute calicivirus infection,9, 36, 37, 38 chronic oral inflammation has not been a sequela in either naturally

Eosinophilic Granuloma Complex

Eosinophilic granuloma complex is a common disorder in cats, affecting the skin (eosinophilic plaque), upper lip (indolent ulcer) (Fig. 9), palate, and/or tongue (eosinophilic granuloma). Although rare, eosinophilic lesions have been described in the oral cavity of dogs as well,66, 67, 68, 69 who may be presented with symptoms of clearing the throat, difficulty swallowing, coughing during and after eating, or difficulty eating.68 Rather than a disease, eosinophilic dermatoses should be thought

Reactive lesions

In addition to the intrinsic immune disturbances (described previously), many external stimuli can result in oral inflammation. When attempting to determine the underlying cause of an oral inflammatory lesion, whether the lesion is localized or generalized within the oral cavity and whether it is ulcerative or proliferative should be considered.

Generalized ulcerative lesions may result from viral infections (in particular, feline calicivirus, as discussed previously), chemical exposure,84, 85

Neoplastic lesions

Although many oral neoplasms appear as masses, several may first present as ulcerations or even simply as erythematous areas on the gingiva or oral mucosa. Squamous cell carcinoma (Fig. 13) in cats and epitheliotrophic lymphoma in dogs are 2 malignant neoplasms that commonly have an ulcerative rather than exophytic appearance. Biopsy and histopathologic analysis is recommended for any abnormal-appearing tissue in the oral cavity, in particular, nonhealing extraction sites; early diagnosis and

Summary

In mammalian tissue, inflammation is a highly integrated, elaborate response to insult or injury. Its primary purpose is to contain and remove offending microorganisms and necrotic tissue, preventing infection and facilitating tissue healing.89 An aberrant or accentuated inflammatory process, however, itself can cause tissue injury and dysfunction. As ongoing research yields an increasing understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that modulate inflammation, efforts to treat and

First page preview

First page preview
Click to open first page preview
View PDF

References (89)

  • J.M. Quimby et al.

    Evaluation of the association of Bartonella species, feline herpesvirus 1, feline calicivirus, feline leukemia virus and feline immunodeficiency virus with chronic feline gingivostomatitis

    J Feline Med Surg

    (2008)
  • C.J. Gaskell et al.

    Efficacy of an inactivated feline calicivirus (FCV) vaccine against challenge with United Kingdom field strains and its interaction with the FCV carrier state

    Res Vet Sci

    (1982)
  • R.C. Wardley et al.

    The clinical disease and patterns of excretion associated with three different strains of feline caliciviruses

    Res Vet Sci

    (1977)
  • M. Lee et al.

    Immunohistological evaluation of feline herpesvirus-1 infection in feline eosinophilic dermatoses or stomatitis

    J Feline Med Surg

    (2010)
  • K.L. Dowers et al.

    Association of Bartonella species, feline calicivirus, and feline herpesvirus 1 infection with gingivostomatitis in cats

    J Feline Med Surg

    (2010)
  • J.E. Sykes et al.

    Association between Bartonella species infection and disease in pet cats as determined using serology and culture

    J Feline Med Surg

    (2010)
  • S.M. Dolieslager et al.

    Identification of bacteria associated with feline chronic gingivostomatitis using culture-dependent and culture-independent methods

    Vet Microbiol

    (2011)
  • C.A. Williams et al.

    Gingivitis/stomatitis in cats

    Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract

    (1992)
  • R. Harley et al.

    Immunohistochemical characterization of oral mucosal lesions in cats with chronic gingivostomatitis

    J Comp Pathol

    (2011)
  • B. Arzi et al.

    Presence and quantification of mast cells in the gingiva of cats with tooth resorption, periodontitis and chronic stomatitis

    Arch Oral Biol

    (2010)
  • P.B. Bloom

    Canine and feline eosinophilic skin diseases

    Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract

    (2006)
  • P. Bizikova et al.

    Cloning and establishment of canine desmocollin-1 as a major autoantigen in canine pemphigus foliaceus

    Vet Immunol Immunopathol

    (2012)
  • N.C. Pedersen

    A review of immunologic diseases of the dog

    Vet Immunol Immunopathol

    (1999)
  • T. Olivry et al.

    Diagnosing new autoimmune blistering skin diseases of dogs and cats

    Clin Tech Small Anim Pract

    (2001)
  • T. Olivry et al.

    A spontaneous canine model of mucous membrane (cicatricial) pemphigoid, an autoimmune blistering disease affecting mucosae and mucocutaneous junctions

    J Autoimmun

    (2001)
  • G. Bradley

    Diseases of the oral mucosa

    Can Fam Physician

    (1988)
  • P.R. Melnick et al.

    Treatment of a periodontal abscess

  • F.A. Carranza et al.

    The periodontal pocket

  • N. Fiani et al.

    Diagnostic imaging in veterinary dental practice

    J Am Vet Med Assoc

    (2009)
  • F.A. Hale

    Localized intrinsic staining of teeth due to pulpitis and pulp necrosis in dogs

    J Vet Dent

    (2001)
  • H.L. Duncan

    Diagnostic imaging in veterinary dental practice. Dental caries

    J Am Vet Med Assoc

    (2010)
  • G.A. DuPont et al.

    Endodontic disease

  • E.A. Hoover et al.

    Experimentally induced feline calicivirus infection: clinical signs and lesions

    J Am Vet Med Assoc

    (1975)
  • R.P. Johnson et al.

    Effect of diet on oral lesions of feline calicivirus infection

    Vet Rec

    (1982)
  • P.A. Pesavento et al.

    Pathologic, immunohistochemical, and electron microscopic findings in naturally occurring virulent systemic feline calicivirus infection in cats

    Vet Pathol

    (2004)
  • A. Suchy et al.

    Diagnosis of feline herpesvirus infection by immunohistochemistry, polymerase chain reaction, and in situ hybridization

    J Vet Diagn Invest

    (2000)
  • R. Gaskell et al.

    Feline herpesvirus

    Vet Res

    (2007)
  • M.K. Baker

    Ulcerative glossitis. A facet of feline panleukopenia

    J S Afr Vet Assoc

    (1975)
  • T. Ishida et al.

    Feline immunodeficiency virus infection in cats of Japan

    J Am Vet Med Assoc

    (1989)
  • C. Favrot et al.

    Parvovirus infection of keratinocytes as a cause of canine erythema multiforme

    Vet Pathol

    (2000)
  • M. Woldemeskel et al.

    Canine parvovirus-2b-associated erythema multiforme in a litter of English Setter dogs

    J Vet Diagn Invest

    (2011)
  • D.J. Maggs et al.

    Efficacy of oral supplementation with L-lysine in cats latently infected with feline herpesvirus

    Am J Vet Res

    (2003)
  • J. Stiles et al.

    Effect of oral administration of L-lysine on conjunctivitis caused by feline herpesvirus in cats

    Am J Vet Res

    (2002)
  • R.F. Bragg et al.

    Clinical evaluation of a single dose of immune plasma for treatment of canine parvovirus infection

    J Am Vet Med Assoc

    (2012)

    • Cited by (47)

    • Current Concepts in Head and Neck Surgery

      2022, Veterinary Clinics of North America - Small Animal Practice
      Citation Excerpt :

      Because most animals will require some type of tranquilization to perform a thorough oral examination and obtain either type of sample from an intraoral location, some clinicians prefer to perform a biopsy to maximize the chances of achieving a diagnosis during the sedation period.15 The site of the biopsy should be planned such that it falls within the boundaries of the tissue to be excised once the diagnosis is made to maintain the tumor margins for surgical planning.16 Similarly, macroscopically normal tissue on the margin of the tumor should not necessarily be included in an incisional biopsy because this may violate previously unopened tissue planes.17

    • Oral cavity, gastrointestinal tract, and associated structures

      2022, Canine and Feline Cytopathology: A Color Atlas and Interpretation Guide

    • Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

      2022, Greene's Infectious Diseases of the Dog and Cat, Fifth Edition

    • Oral cancer in non-smoker non-drinker patients. Could comparative pet oncology help to understand risk factors and pathogenesis?

      2021, Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology
      Citation Excerpt :

      However, this correlation was not found for oral tumors (Merlo et al., 2008; Baioni et al., 2017; Gamlem et al., 2008; Grüntzig et al., 2015; Pugh et al., 2014). Oral inflammatory disorders and tumors are common in many companion animals: noteworthy, despite the histological differences in oral epithelium among species are considerable, dog’s oral mucosa is very similar to that of humans (Sa et al., 2016; Lommer, 2013). Among the wide variety of inflammatory disorders in dogs and cats, Lommer included plaque-reactive mucositis, chronic gingivostomatitis, eosinophilic granuloma complex, pemphigus and pemphigoid disorders, multiform erythema, and systemic lupus erythematosus (Wingo, 2018).

    • An Update on Feline Chronic Gingivostomatitis

      2020, Veterinary Clinics of North America - Small Animal Practice
      Citation Excerpt :

      Feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS) is a severe, immune-mediated, oral mucosal inflammatory disease of cats. The typical location of the ulcerative and/or proliferative inflammatory lesions is lateral to the palatoglossal folds, previously referred to as the fauces.1–3 Clinically, a proliferative and ulcerative phenotype of the disease can be observed (Fig. 1).

    • Canine and Feline Oral Cavity Tumours and Tumour-like Lesions: a Retrospective Study of 486 Cases (2015–2017)

      2019, Journal of Comparative Pathology
      Citation Excerpt :

      These lesions can cause pain, discomfort and/or reluctance to eat or may be discovered accidentally, as they sometimes accompany periodontal diseases (Verhaert, 2010). Some oral cavity lesions in dogs and cats are consequences or manifestations of chronic gingivitis/stomatitis, but others can develop spontaneously, such as benign odontogenic neoplasia or malignancies (Lommer, 2013). However, it has been claimed that chronic irritation or persistent antigenic stimulation may play a role in malignant transformation (Coussens and Werb, 2002; Ekere et al., 2010).

    View all citing articles on Scopus

    Conflict of Interest: None.

    View full text
    Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.