Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Ulcerated skin sores on dogs in Rio linked to sporotrichosis
By dos Santos, Isabele Barbieri et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology·2007·Serviç, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Sporotrichosis: the main differential diagnosis with tegumentary leishmaniosis in dogs from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 74 dogs in Rio de Janeiro with ulcerated skin lesions were tested for two serious infections: sporotrichosis and leishmaniosis. The tests showed that 41 dogs had sporotrichosis, caused by a fungus, while 33 had leishmaniosis, caused by a parasite. Many of the dogs with sporotrichosis showed signs of anemia and other lab abnormalities. Due to the similarities in symptoms and lab results, veterinarians need to carefully identify which infection is present to provide the right treatment. Treatment options for these conditions can vary, so it's important to get an accurate diagnosis.
People also search for: dog skin lesions Rio de Janeiro · sporotrichosis treatment in dogs · leishmaniosis symptoms in dogs · dog ulcerated skin lesions causes
Abstract
Seventy-four dogs from the State of Rio de Janeiro with ulcerated cutaneous lesions were submitted to clinical, dermatological, parasitological, mycological, histopathological and cytopathological exams, a leishmanin skin test, an indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) test for leishmaniosis, and nonspecific laboratory tests such as blood count and serum biochemistry. Sporothrix schenckii was isolated from 41 dogs and Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis was isolated from 33 animals. Most dogs with sporotrichosis were from the municipality of Rio de Janeiro (53.7%) and presented ulcerated cutaneous lesions on the head (68.3%). Laboratory alterations in these animals included anemia (58.5%), hypoalbuminemia (83%) and hyperglobulinemia (75.6%). Histopathology revealed the predominance of a chronic granulomatous inflammatory infiltrate (70.7%), and yeast-like structures were detected in 17% of the histopathological exams and in 32% of the cytological exams. Three of 41 dogs with sporotrichosis were seropositive by IIF for leishmaniosis and 2 of 20 animals tested within this group had a positive leishmanin skin test. Similarly, most of the 33 dogs with leishmaniosis were from the municipality of Rio de Janeiro (69.7%) and had ulcerated cutaneous lesions on the head (84.8%). Laboratory alterations in these animals included anemia (66.7%), hypoalbuminemia (100%) and hyperglobulinemia (91%). Histopathology showed the predominance of a chronic granulomatous inflammatory infiltrate (63.6%) and amastigote forms were detected in 30.3% of the histopathological exams and in 31.8% of the 22 cytological exams performed. About 72.7% of the dogs were seropositive by IIF and five of seven animals had a positive skin test. Due to the clinical similarities, histopathological and nonspecific laboratory results similarities, the serological and skin tests for leishmaniosis positive in dogs with sporotrichosis, and the overlapping endemic areas in Rio de Janeiro, the differential diagnosis between the two diseases requires the demonstration of their respective etiological agents.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16973286/