Granulomatous dermatitis is a rare skin disease that is an inflammation of the skin characterised by accumulation of white cells in the outer layers of dermis especially around the hair follicles.
In Sterile nodular/granulomatous dermatoses, the primary lesions are nodules, or masses of tissue that are solid, elevated, and greater than one centimeter in diameter.
The nodules are usually the result of an infiltration of inflammatory cells into the skin. This may be a reaction to interal or external stimuli. The lesions occur as multiple cutaneous and subcutaneous nodules up to 4 cm diameter.
They may disappear spontaneously, or regress and appear at new sites simultaneously. Topographically lesions may be found on the face, ears, nose, neck, trunk, extremities (including foot pads), perineum and scrotum.
Symptoms associated with this condition are
Nodular dermatofibrosis in German shepherds, 3–5 years old
Calcinosis circumscripta in German shepherds, younger than two-years-old
Malignant histiocytosis in Bernese mountain dogs
May affect any age, breed, or gender, although Bernese mountain dogs are at higher risk for malignant histiocytosis and German shepherds are at higher risk for nodular dermatofibrosis
