CE Night by BRAVMA x LSU Vet Med
Fall 2026 dates are Tuesday, September 8, and Tuesday, December 8.
Where: Meetings are located in LSU Vet Med 1205. This meeting is in-person only.
CE Credit: 2 hours of CE credit approved by the Louisiana Board of Veterinary Medicine for veterinarians and RVTs. This CE is not approved for other states.
Cost: None
Tuesday, September 8 at 6:30 PM
Agenda
6:30–6:50 p.m. — Attendee sign-in and networking
6:50–7:00 p.m. — Welcome and speaker introduction
7:00–9:00 p.m. — Presentation
9:00–9:30 p.m. — Optional Q&A
Speaker
Svetlina Aleksandrova, DVM, DECVD
Presentation
Acantholysis in Practice: A Case-Based Approach to the Pemphigus Complex
Program overview
Acantholytic cells can provide an important diagnostic clue in patients with pustular, crusting, and erosive skin disease—but recognizing acantholysis is only the beginning.
This practical, case-based presentation will guide veterinarians through the clinical recognition, cytologic diagnosis, differential diagnoses, and appropriate use of skin biopsy in suspected pemphigus cases. Using clinical cases, we will review the pemphigus complex in dogs and cats, with particular emphasis on pemphigus foliaceus, diagnostic pitfalls, treatment selection, monitoring, and long-term management. The goal is to provide a practical approach that can be applied directly in general practice.
The lecture will include a short hands-on microscopy component, and attendees will have the opportunity to examine cytology slides and identify acantholytic cells firsthand.
Speaker Bio
Svetlina Aleksandrova, DVM, DECVD, is an Assistant Professor of Veterinary Dermatology at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine and a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Dermatology. Her clinical interests include allergic and immune-mediated skin diseases, otitis, infectious dermatologic diseases, and diagnostic cytology. She has a particular interest in translating dermatologic cytology and clinical pattern recognition into practical diagnostic approaches for everyday veterinary practice.
Please RSVP to Sara Hamilton at sarahamilton@lsu.edu