Necrosi cutanea ed epatica in un coniglio domestico: Un caso sospetto di reazione avversa a farmaco

The present report describes a case of cutaneous and hepatic necrosis likely related to drug administration in a rabbit. A 2 year-old male rabbit with intestinal constipation was examinated. Symptomatic treatment was initiated, consisted of subcutaneous fluid with Ringer's Lactate, meloxicam and metoclopramide. Five days later, after the development of subcutaneous oedema and bullous-necrotic skin lesion on the abdomen, the rabbit died. On necropsy, hepatic multifocal white foci were observed. Histopathologically, skin showed full thickness epidermal necrosis, necrotizing destructive mural folliculitis, dermal eosinophilic infiltrate, cell poor vasculitis, whereas liver exhibited multifocal atrophy and centrilobular and acute coagulative necrosis. Pathological findings, together with the time of the onset of clinical signs, were strongly suggestive of adverse drug reaction (ADR). Meloxicam, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, commonly used for the control of the pain in rabbits, has never been associated with ADR in this specie, but recently reported most probably associated with cutaneous and hepatic manifestation in a dog.