Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Disseminated infection causing spinal pain in a Borzoi dog
By Polak, S et al.·Published in New Zealand veterinary journal·2023·Massey University Veterinary Teaching Hospital·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Disseminatedinfection in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 4-year-old male neutered Borzoi was brought to the vet because he was in pain and frequently vocalizing. X-rays showed a problem in his spine, and he was treated for a suspected bacterial infection with surgery and antibiotics. Unfortunately, after some initial improvement, he developed new symptoms like not wanting to eat, losing weight, and drinking a lot of water. Further tests revealed a serious fungal infection affecting multiple organs, and despite starting antifungal treatment, his condition worsened, leading to euthanasia.
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Abstract
CASE HISTORY: A 4-year-old, male neutered Borzoi presented for unlocalised pain and frequent episodes of vocalisation. CLINICAL FINDINGS: Pain was localised to the lumbar spine and radiographs revealed a L3-L4 lesion consistent with discospondylitis. The dog was treated for presumptive bacterial discospondylitis with surgical debridement, spinal stabilisation, and cephalexin. Samples collected from the affected intervertebral disc at the time of surgery revealed lymphoplasmacytic inflammation with no causative agent identified on histopathology or bacterial culture. After an initial period of improvement, signs recurred despite an 8-week antibiotic course, with the development of inappetence, weight loss, polydipsia, and polyuria. Repeat radiographs revealed a new cervical intervertebral lesion, and concurrent pyelonephritis was diagnosed based on blood and urine results. Fungal culture of urine resulted in growth ofspecies complex and disseminated fungal disease was clinically diagnosed. Antifungal treatment was commenced, however the dog deteriorated, and euthanasia was performed. PATHOLOGICAL FINDINGS: Multifocal white plaques were grossly visualised in the spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes, cervical vertebrae, and kidneys. Periodic acid-Schiff-positive, fine, parallel-walled, occasionally branching, septate hyphae 5-10 μm in diameter, and conidia 5-7 μm in diameter were found on sectioning all organs.species complex was identified by fungal culture of urine and was considered the species of fungal organism seen histologically. The isolate was subsequently confirmed asby DNA sequencing. DIAGNOSIS: Disseminatedinfection. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: species complex is a recognised invasive mycosis in veterinary medicine, with disseminated disease causing significant clinical complications and death. This is believed to be the first report of infection caused byin a dog in Australasia and highlights the importance of awareness of a potential fungal aetiology in dogs with discospondylitis.CLSI: Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute; CRI: Constant rate infusion; MEC: Minimum effective concentration; MIC: Minimum inhibitory concentration; PAS: Periodic acid-Schiff.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37173868/