Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Toy poodle with widespread Pneumocystis lung infection and weight loss
By Sakashita, T et al.·Published in Journal of comparative pathology·2020·Department of Veterinary Pathology, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Disseminated Pneumocystosis in a Toy Poodle.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 1-year and 7-month-old neutered male toy poodle was brought to the vet due to ongoing breathing problems, weight loss, and dark stools. X-rays showed issues in the lungs, and further testing revealed a serious infection caused by a fungus called Pneumocystis carinii, affecting multiple organs. Unfortunately, the dog had a weakened immune system, which likely contributed to the severity of the infection. Despite the diagnosis, the outcome was not favorable, as the dog did not survive.
People also search for: toy poodle breathing problems · dog weight loss causes · Pneumocystis carinii in dogs
Abstract
A 1-year and 7-months-old neutered male toy poodle was presented with persistent respiratory distress, gradual weight loss and melaena. Thoracic radiography showed an unstructured interstitial lung pattern. Histopathological examination of tissues collected at necropsy examination revealed disseminated infection by Pneumocystis carinii. The organisms were detected in the lungs, lymph nodes, liver, heart, kidneys, spleen, gastrointestinal tract and pancreas. In the lungs, the organisms were present in the alveolar space and interstitial tissue, and calcified foci containing P. carinii were observed. The presence of the organism in non-thoracic lymph nodes provided evidence of lymphogenous spread. A definitive diagnosis of disseminated pneumocystosis was achieved through the use of Grocott methenamine silver staining, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and polymerase chain reaction for P. carinii. Depletion of cells expressing immunoglobulin (Ig)A and IgG was confirmed by IHC of lymphoid tissue, suggesting possible underlying immunodeficiency.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32138848/