[Corneal pathology in the cat and dog]

Abstract

Corneal diseases in the Cat and the Dog are of great variety and present similitudes with human corneal disorders, as demonstrated by the present report which discusses dystrophies, degenerations and inflammations of the cornea successively. Deep endothelial dystrophies are rare, poorly understood, and related to certain breeds; lipid dystrophies are frequent and either primary, occurring in some breeds only, or secondary to hyperlipemia; calcareous dystrophies are breed-related affections. Primary corneal degeneration has been described in the cat only and is a very rare affection. Keratitis is by far the commonest corneal lesion reported, and may be of herpes virus origin in the Cat and due to adenovirus in the Dog. Dry keratitis as in humans has also been observed. Two types of keratitis of allergic origin are described which are closely related to two breeds of dog: Alsatians and the long-haired dachshund. Recurrent corneal erosions, poorly recognized in veterinary medicine, are now described; their etiology and histological appearances are comparable with those reported in humans. These findings emphasize the interest of using animal models for human pathology investigations.