Persistent papillomavirus infection in a cat

A seven-year-old, neutered male, crossbred Persian was diagnosed as having persistent, cutaneous papillomavirus infection. The skin lesions consisted of round, multifocal-to-confluent, raised, black plaques on the neck, thorax, shoulders, and forelegs. Papillomavirus virions were demonstrated in negative-stained, electron microscopic preparations of homogenized skin lesions and within the nuclei of cells from the stratum granulosum. Avidin-biotin immunoperoxidase stains were positive for papillomavirus in the same cells. The cat was euthanized due to a clinical diagnosis of concurrent, severe, chronic pancreatitis.