Carbon dioxide laser treatment of extensive pigmented viral plaque lesions in a golden retriever dog.

BACKGROUND: Canine pigmented viral plaque (PVP) is an uncommon skin disease, associated with papillomavirus infection. Lesions are usually small (<1 cm diameter), pigmented macules to plaques on the ventral abdomen and medial thigh. ANIMALS: An 8-year-old male, neutered golden retriever dog presented with numerous dark plaques forming cohesive plaques on the ventrum extending down the medial aspect of both hind legs. The plaques were associated with significant pruritus. RESULTS: Histology confirmed a diagnosis of PVP and PCR amplified Canis familiaris papillomavirus 4 from a formalin fixed plaque sample. The PVPs were completely resolved by two courses of CO2 laser treatment. There was very minimal postoperative discomfort and no relapse or new lesion development within a 12 months follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Extensive PVPs have not previously been described in a golden retriever dog or previously reported to cause pruritus in dogs. Due to the large skin area involved, surgical excision was not feasible in this case. However, two rounds of treatment using laser were completely curative for both focal pedunculated and plaque-like PVP lesions. Additionally, compared to surgical excision, laser treatment is expected to result in less postoperative discomfort, reduced surgery time and fewer postoperative infections. This is the first report of successful treatment of canine PVPs using a CO2 laser. The success of this treatment in this case suggests that laser provides an excellent treatment option for extensive PVPs in dogs.

Application of the tissue transfer technique in veterinary cytopathology.

BACKGROUND: Limited availability of diagnostic cytopathologic material may preclude additional diagnostic techniques. Tissue transfer allows for preparation of additional slides from a single original slide. Information pertaining to the application of the tissue transfer technique in veterinary cytopathology is lacking. OBJECTIVES: The objectives were to evaluate the application of the tissue transfer technique on Quick Dip-stained veterinary cytologic smears and to assess if a selection of histochemical and immunocytochemical stains, and PCR analyses could be performed on transferred material. METHODS: Archived Quick Dip-stained canine lymph node aspirate smears from previously diagnosed lymphoma cases were utilized to validate and optimize the tissue transfer technique. In this technique, diagnostic material is lifted from the original stained slide, is divided and transferred to multiple new slides. Histochemical stains such as Gram, periodic acid Schiff, Congo red, and Ziehl-Neelson, immunohistochemistry for CD3 and PAX5, and PCR for cryptococcal and mycobacterial organisms were selectively performed on transferred material. RESULTS: The tissue transfer technique was simple, and transferred Quick Dip-stained material retained cellular morphology. Histochemical and immunohistochemical stains, and PCR analysis yielded reliable results when performed on the additional smears produced by this technique. CONCLUSIONS: The tissue transfer technique was simple and easy to perform on previously Quick Dip-stained cytology smears. Cellular detail was preserved and multiple additional ancillary diagnostic techniques were facilitated, such as histochemical and immunohistochemical stains, and PCR analysis.

Morbillivirus infection in live stranded, injured, trapped, and captive cetaceans in southeastern Queensland and northern New South Wales, Australia.

We report serologic evidence of cetacean morbillivirus (CMV) infection in five of eight cetacean species found live stranded, injured, or trapped along the coast of southeastern Queensland and northern New South Wales, Australia between December 2005 and January 2011. Antibody to CMV was detected in 13 of 27 (48%) wild cetaceans sampled. Antibody prevalence was significantly higher in clinically diseased (69%) compared to nondiseased (18%) animals (P=0.018). There was high antibody prevalence (83%, n=6) in melon-headed whales (Peponocephala electra). Two of 13 (15%) captive cetaceans sampled between November 2005 and January 2011 had CMV antibodies and, as infection was unlikely to have occurred while in captivity, CMV infection appears to have been present in Australian wild cetaceans since at least 1985. These results indicate that morbillivirus infection is occurring without widespread cetacean mortality in this region. However, as the deaths of two immature Australian offshore bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) were attributed to CMV infection, morbillivirus infection should be included in the differential diagnosis of disease in cetaceans in Australia. Captive cetacean populations may be prone to significant mortality as a result of CMV introduction, so strict quarantine procedures should be enforced when injured or stranded cetaceans are hospitalized and rehabilitated at Australian zoos and marine parks.