Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Canine visceral leishmaniasis signs and outcomes in Greece study
By Koutinas, A F et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·1999·Clinic of Companion Animal Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Clinical considerations on canine visceral leishmaniasis in Greece: a retrospective study of 158 cases (1989-1996).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 158 dogs in Greece was diagnosed with visceral leishmaniasis, a serious disease caused by a parasite. Symptoms included skin problems like sores and dermatitis, weight loss, swollen lymph nodes, and issues with their eyes and muscles. Many of these dogs also had kidney problems. The study found that blood tests were more effective for diagnosis than taking samples from lymph nodes. Treatment options were not detailed, but early diagnosis is crucial for managing this disease. If your dog shows any of these symptoms, it's important to consult your veterinarian right away.
Abstract
The medical records of 158 dogs with visceral leishmaniasis confirmed cytologically and/or serologically were reviewed. Ages of affected dogs varied from nine months to 15 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.3. The most common clinical manifestations of the disease were variable cutaneous lesions such as exfoliative dermatitis and skin ulcerations, chronic renal failure, peripheral lymphadenopathy or lymph node hypoplasia, masticatory muscle atrophy (i.e., chronic myositis), ocular lesions (i.e., conjunctivitis, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, blepharitis, and uveitis), and poor body condition. Ascites, nephrotic syndrome, epistaxis, polyarthritis, and ulcerative stomatitis were seen only in a small number of cases. Clinical splenomegaly was not a common finding. The clinicopathological abnormalities were nonregenerative anemia, hyperproteinemia, glomerular proteinuria, and symptomatic or asymptomatic azotemia. In this study, an indirect immunofluorescence assay's diagnostic sensitivity was found to be higher than that of lymph node aspiration cytology.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10493412/