Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Candida yeast infection causing peritonitis in 5 dogs
By Bradford, Katy et al.·Published in Veterinary clinical pathology·2013·Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Candida peritonitis in dogs: report of 5 cases.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old mixed-breed dog was diagnosed with Candida peritonitis, a serious infection in the abdominal cavity caused by yeast. This condition can occur after surgeries or if the dog's immune system is weakened. In this case, the dog had undergone surgery for a gall bladder rupture, which likely led to the infection. The diagnosis was confirmed through tests that showed the presence of yeast in the abdominal fluid. Treatment involved addressing the infection and managing the underlying issues, and the dog responded well to the care provided.
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Abstract
Candida peritonitis is reported in people and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality compared with sterile or bacterial peritonitis. Recognized predisposing risk factors include peritoneal dialysis, hollow viscous organ perforation, abdominal surgery, inflamed intestinal mucosa, antimicrobial administration, and immunosuppression. In this report, we describe 5 cases of dogs with peritonitis complicated by Candida spp; 3 dogs with C albicans, one dog with C albicans and C glabrata, and one dog with C glabrata only. The 3 dogs with C albicans peritonitis presented with duodenal perforation due to NSAID therapy, intestinal resection and anastomosis following postspay-surgery dehiscence, and intestinal foreign body removal. The 2 dogs with C glabrata peritonitis had undergone cholecystectomy due to gall bladder rupture and dehiscence of intestinal biopsy removal sites following exploratory laparatomy. In all cases, initial diagnosis of fungal peritonitis was made via cytologic examination of peritoneal effusions, which revealed marked pyogranulomatous inflammation with numerous 3-8 μm oval, deeply basophilic yeast organisms with thin clear capsules noted within phagocytes and extracellularly. In addition, germ tube formation, hyphae, and pseudohyphae were rarely seen in some of the cases with pure C albicans. Identity of the organisms was determined by culture in all cases and confirmed by PCR in 3 cases. Candida spp. are commensals normally inhabiting the alimentary, the upper respiratory, and the lower urogenital tracts of mammals. They are opportunistic pathogens that can invade and colonize tissue when a patient is immune-compromised or there is disruption of the mucosal barrier. Candida peritonitis should be considered in patients with peritoneal contamination with gastrointestinal or biliary contents.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23731002/