Disease overview

Inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal nevus is characterized by the appearance of multiple verrucous, or warty, lesions on the skin since birth or infancy (ILVEN). While it is not a well-established disease in felines due to its rarity, it is assumed to be similar to the human disease of the same name.

Gene name

NSDHL

Inheritance

Likely X-linked dominant

Signs and symptoms

Clinical signs of this disease are the presence of multiple wart-like lesions in a linear arrangement on the skin since birth or infancy. While this is not well documented in cats, human ILVEN can be accompanied by neurologic, skeletal, heart, kidney, and eye abnormalities.

How is it diagnosed

The diagnosis of this disease in cats is largely presumptive and based on clinical signs and the lack of papillomavirus antigen-positive cells in the lesions. The latter criteria is important because similar lesions can often be the result of a viral infection.

Breeds at higher risk

Current data does not indicate that specific breeds are at a higher risk.

Citations

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22672841/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30474267/

Disclaimer

Disease diagnosis and treatment should always be performed by a veterinarian. The following information is for educational purposes only.