Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Aspergillus lung infection causing pneumonia in a Hellenic shepherd
By Adamama-Moraitou, Katerina K et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2011·Faculty of Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Aspergillus fumigatus Bronchopneumonia in a Hellenic Shepherd Dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old female Hellenic shepherd dog was brought to the vet because she was feeling depressed, not eating well, had a fever, and was coughing for two months. X-rays showed problems in her left lung, and during a bronchoscopy, the vet found infected tissue and discharge in her airways. After surgery to remove her left lung due to severe infection, tests confirmed she had a fungal infection caused by Aspergillus fumigatus. She was treated with the antifungal medication itraconazole for over five months and is now healthy and back to normal nearly two years later.
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Abstract
A 3 yr old intact female Hellenic shepherd dog was referred due to depression, partial anorexia, fever, and a mild productive cough of 2 mo duration. Thoracic radiographs showed increased opacity of all of the left lung lobes. Upon bronchoscopy, a sanguineous, purulent discharge was detected in the tracheal lumen with hyperplastic tissue narrowing the left main stem bronchus. Cultures were positive for bacteria (Bacillus spp. and Clostridium spp.) but negative for fungi. Due to the severity of the lesions, a complete left lung pneumonectomy was performed. Histopathological examination of the excised lung tissues revealed a severe granulomatous bronchopneumonia with numerous alveolar macrophages laden with structures stained positively by periodic acid-Schiff and Grocott stain that had morphology consistent with fungi. PCR and sequencing of internal transcribed spacer regions 1 and 2 from genetic material extracted from paraffin-embedded pulmonary tissue confirmed the presence of Aspergillus fumigatus. Itraconazole was administrated for 5.5 mo and the dog was clinically normal 26 mo after surgery.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21357614/