Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Yeast found in puppy's ulcerated skin mass may be contamination
By Tarrant, Jacqueline·Published in Veterinary clinical pathology·2005·Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Organisms in an aspirate from an ulcerated mass: etiologic agent or mass-querade?
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 9-month-old Bull Terrier puppy was brought in for an ulcerated mass between its toes. Tests showed signs of inflammation and an unusual yeast infection, but further investigation revealed that the yeast was actually a contaminant from a nearby cactus, not an infection. The puppy did not have a true fungal infection, and the situation highlighted the importance of careful testing to avoid misdiagnosis. The puppy likely did not need any specific treatment for a fungal infection since it was not actually infected.
People also search for: puppy ulcerated mass · Bull Terrier skin infection · yeast infection in dogs · dog toe mass treatment
Abstract
Smears prepared from a fine-needle aspirate of an ulcerated, dermal mass between the digits of a 9-month-old Bull Terrier puppy revealed a moderately cellular, mixed-cell inflammation with numerous extracellular organisms. The organisms were 3-8 microm in length, curved to oval in shape, with prominent nuclei, and (retrospectively) a rare single, narrow-based bud. The cytologic diagnosis was mycotic dermatitis due to infection with an unusual yeast. Histologic sections of the lesion showed pyogranulomatous inflammation without evidence of an infectious organism. Contamination of the cytologic smears was suspected to have taken place in the clinical pathology laboratory and was confirmed by the isolation of a yeast with identical microscopic features from a cactus located on a windowsill near the work bench. The yeast was cultured and identified as Rhodotorula minuta, an airborne contaminant and ubiquitous saprophyte. It can be difficult to differentiate external contamination from infection when interpreting a cytologic specimen, however, it is important to do so, especially for unusual or opportunistic pathogens.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15902671/