Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How long swollen chest lymph nodes last in dogs with lung fungal
By Urion, Rebecca et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2023·College of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Temporal tracheobronchial lymphadenopathy resolution is affected by initial severity and poorly correlated to serologic antibody testing in dogs with pulmonary coccidioidomycosis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 32 dogs diagnosed with lung infections caused by a fungus called Coccidioides showed signs of swollen lymph nodes in their chest. Most of these dogs had their swollen lymph nodes improve after starting treatment with fluconazole, with about 72% showing resolution within three months. However, dogs with more severe swelling took longer to recover, with some needing up to a year for full resolution. The study found that blood tests for antibodies were not helpful in predicting the severity of the swelling.
People also search for: dog swollen lymph nodes treatment · Coccidioides infection in dogs · fluconazole for dog lung infection
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine associations between antibody serologic tests and tracheobronchial lymphadenopathy (TBL) in dogs with pulmonary coccidioidomycosis and identify variables associated with time to resolution of TBL. ANIMALS: 32 client owned dogs with newly diagnosed pulmonary coccidioidomycosis from October 2020 to February 2021. METHODS: Prospective cohort study. Thoracic radiographs and anti-Coccidioides spp antibody serology were performed at baseline and once every 3 months until remission or for a maximum of 12 months. Radiographic tracheobronchial lymph node height, length, and area were measured and recorded as ratios via comparison with the length of the T4 vertebral body (LT4) and length of the manubrium. Severity of TBL was also subjectively categorized as mild, moderate, or severe. RESULTS: Tracheobronchial lymphadenopathy was identified in 81% (26/32; 95% CI, 64% to 93%) of dogs. There was no relevant association between TBL presence or severity and antibody serology results. Tracheobronchial lymphadenopathy resolved in 72% (n = 18) of dogs at the 3-month evaluation. The median time to resolution of TBL after initiation of fluconazole was 96 days (range, 72 to 386 days). Univariate analysis identified increasing TBL severity (hazard ratio, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.19 to 0.84; P = .02) and length:LT4 ratio (hazard ratio, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.20 to 0.82; P = .01) as variables associated with reduced probability of resolution of TBL. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Antibody serologic test results are not clinically useful to predict TBL presence or severity in dogs with pulmonary coccidioidomycosis, and larger tracheobronchial lymph nodes are more likely to take longer to resolve. Resolution of TBL occurs in most dogs within 3 to 6 months after fluconazole administration.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37481255/