Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Heart damage found in dogs with natural Leishmania infection
By Rosa, F A et al.·Published in Veterinary pathology·2014·Departamento de Clí·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Cardiac lesions in 30 dogs naturally infected with Leishmania infantum chagasi.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 30 dogs infected with Leishmania infantum chagasi, a parasite that can cause serious health issues, were found to have various heart problems, even if they showed no signs of heart disease. The dogs had inflammation and damage in their heart tissues, with many showing signs of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and myonecrosis (death of heart muscle cells). In some cases, the parasite was present in the heart tissue, which was linked to the level of inflammation. This study highlights the importance of monitoring heart health in dogs with leishmaniasis, even when they appear healthy.
People also search for: dog heart problems leishmaniasis · signs of heart disease in dogs · Leishmania infection treatment in dogs
Abstract
The hearts of 30 dogs naturally infected with Leishmania infantum chagasi were evaluated histologically and immunohistochemically. Myocardial lesions were detected in all dogs, including lymphoplasmacytic myocarditis (27/30), myonecrosis (24/30), increased interstitial collagen (22/30), lepromatous-type granulomatous myocarditis (7/30), fibrinoid vascular change (3/30), and vasculitis (1/30). The parasite was detected in the hearts of 20 of 30 dogs. The number of parasitized cells correlated with the intensity of the inflammation and with the number of granulomas. The results indicate that cardiac lesions are prevalent in dogs with naturally occurring leishmaniasis even in the absence of clinical signs of cardiac disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23794149/