Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Disseminated Nocardia abscessus infection in a dog
By MacNeill, Amy L et al.·Published in Veterinary clinical pathology·2010·Department of Pathobiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Disseminated nocardiosis caused by Nocardia abscessus in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 4-year-old female spayed Bichon Frise was brought to the vet because she was very tired, not eating, had a fever, and developed several hard lumps under her skin. After testing, the vet found that she had an infection caused by a type of bacteria called Nocardia abscessus, which can sometimes be confused with a fungal infection. The dog's long-term use of a medication called cyclosporine A, which suppresses the immune system, likely made her more vulnerable to this infection. Treatment details weren't specified, but recognizing the infection early is crucial for recovery.
People also search for: dog lethargy and lumps · Bichon Frise skin infection · Nocardia abscessus treatment · dog not eating fever · allergic dermatitis medication side effects
Abstract
A 4-year-old female spayed Bichon Frise dog that had been receiving cyclosporine A per os 3 times per week for 2 months to control allergic dermatitis developed lethargy, anorexia, fever, and multiple firm subcutaneous masses. Pyogranulomatous inflammation with branching nonseptate filamentous organisms approximately 2 μm in diameter, presumptively fungal organisms, was diagnosed by cytologic evaluation of fine-needle aspirates from several masses. A partially acid-fast actinomycete was cultured from 2 of the masses. The organism was identified as Nocardia abscessus (formerly Nocardia asteroides type 1) based on 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing of samples extracted from cultures and unstained cytologic smears. Immunosuppression caused by long-term administration of cyclosporine A likely predisposed the dog to disseminated infection. To our knowledge, this is the first report of N. abscessus infection in a dog. This case demonstrates that N. abscessus may be mistaken for a fungal organism based on its cytologic appearance and underscores the importance of using molecular techniques for the diagnosis of suspected fungal diseases.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20698939/