Retrospective investigation of feline cowpox in Germany.

infections in cats manifest as skinlesions which,due to a bacterial superinfection,can resemblea variety of different clinical conditions,such as severe ulcer-ating and necrotising dermatitis.Thus,histopathological con-firmation is often required to differentiate, for example,poxvirus infection, eosinophilic granuloma, neoplasia, pyo-dermie, blastomycosis and pemphigus (von Bomhard andothers 1992).In the Practice for Veterinary Pathology in Munich, rou-tine investigation of feline specimens includes haematoxylinand eosin staining of formalin-fixed,paraffin-embedded sec-tions. Between 1993 and 1998, 70