PetCaseFinder

Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Kidneys affected by malakoplakia linked to infections in 2 dogs

By Dodson, Haley E et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc·2026·College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed

PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →

Original publication title: -associated renal malakoplakia in 2 dogs.

Species:
dog
Drinking & peeingDogs

Plain-English summary

Two dogs were diagnosed with a rare condition called malakoplakia, which affected their kidneys and urinary bladders. Both had a history of repeated urinary tract infections. One dog showed numerous yellowish nodules in the kidneys and bladder, while the other had red nodules only in the bladder. The condition was confirmed through special tests on tissue samples. It's suggested that older dogs with certain hormonal issues may be more likely to develop this disease. Treatment details were not provided, but addressing underlying infections and health issues is crucial for recovery.

People also search for: dog urinary tract infection treatment · dog kidney disease symptoms · malakoplakia in dogs

Abstract

Malakoplakia is an uncommon granulomatous disease reported to affect mainly the urinary bladder and, less frequently, the urogenital tract, gastrointestinal tract, and lymph nodes. We describe cases of malakoplakia within the renal medulla of 2 dogs. Both dogs had a history of recurrent urinary tract infections with urine culture growth of. Autopsy findings in dog 1 included ~60 tan-to-yellow, irregular nodules within the renal medulla, and tan-to-red, semi-firm nodules within the urinary bladder mucosa. Dog 2 had no gross changes within the kidneys but rather had ~20 red, semi-firm nodules along the surface of the apex of the urinary bladder. Histologically, the renal medulla of both dogs had sheets of foamy IBA1-positive macrophages with cytoplasmic granules and inclusions of intensely periodic acid-Schiff (PAS)-positive and occasional intracytoplasmic von Kossa- and Prussian blue-positive Michaelis-Gutmann bodies, consistent with malakoplakia. Fluorescence in situ hybridization and/or immunohistochemistry confirmedwithin macrophages. An underlying endocrinopathy could be a predisposing factor in the development of malakoplakia in older dogs.

Find similar cases for your pet

PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.

Search related cases →

Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41305870/