Unusual small intestine inflammatory lesions in a dog with visceral leishmaniasis

The aim of this study is to describe a case of an asymptomatic dog naturally infected with L. infantum chagasi with a surprising number of parasites in the duodenum. A mixed breed dog of unknown age was referred to the Center for Zoonoses Control of the Municipality of Ribeirão das Neves, Belo Horizonte Metropolitan area, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The dog was diagnosed for Leishmania using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), direct parasitological examination of bone marrow aspiration, and immunohistochemistry of ear biopsy. After euthanasia samples of spleen, liver, lung, kidney, heart, cervical and mesenteric lymph nodes; ear, snout, abdominal skin and GIT segments (esophagus, stomach, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, colon, and rectum) were evaluated histologically and immunohistochemically for the presence of parasite amastigotes. Gross and microscopic examination of necropsy samples showed no severe alterations of the mucosa in any gastrointestinal segment. A conspicuous parasite load was observed in the lamina propria of the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, colon, and rectum. Parasite distribution in the small intestine was diffuse through the lamina propria, whereas in the large intestine it was concentrated close to the muscularis mucosa and distant from the intestinal lumen. The parasite load in the duodenum, mainly in the subepithelial region, was higher...

Unusual small intestine inflammatory lesions in a dog with visceral leishmaniasis

The aim of this study is to describe a case of an asymptomatic dog naturally infected with L. infantum chagasi with a surprising number of parasites in the duodenum. A mixed breed dog of unknown age was referred to the Center for Zoonoses Control of the Municipality of Ribeirão das Neves, Belo Horizonte Metropolitan area, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The dog was diagnosed for Leishmania using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), direct parasitological examination of bone marrow aspiration, and immunohistochemistry of ear biopsy. After euthanasia samples of spleen, liver, lung, kidney, heart, cervical and mesenteric lymph nodes; ear, snout, abdominal skin and GIT segments (esophagus, stomach, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, colon, and rectum) were evaluated histologically and immunohistochemically for the presence of parasite amastigotes. Gross and microscopic examination of necropsy samples showed no severe alterations of the mucosa in any gastrointestinal segment. A conspicuous parasite load was observed in the lamina propria of the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, colon, and rectum. Parasite distribution in the small intestine was diffuse through the lamina propria, whereas in the large intestine it was concentrated close to the muscularis mucosa and distant from the intestinal lumen. The parasite load in the duodenum, mainly in the subepithelial region, was higher...(AU)

Chronic pericarditis in a naturally Leishmania (Leishmania) chagasi infected dog

Visceral Leishmaniasis is an infection disease of chronic evolution caused by the protozoan Leishmania sp. The main clinical manifestations in dogs are anemia, progressive weight loss, lymphadenopathy, hepatomegaly, and cutaneous lesions. The heart involvement in visceral leishmaniasis has been rarely reported. The aim of this work was to describe the presence of amastigote forms of Leishmania sp. and associated lesions in the heart of naturally infected dog. For diagnosis analysis, serological tests for anti-Leishmania antibodies and fine-needle aspirative bone marrow cytology were used. The samples (right ventricle and ear skin) were histologically evaluated and processed for imunodetection of Leishmania sp. The most significant histological change was an intense, non-specific, chronic pericarditis associated with intracytoplasmatic amastigotes within macrophages. The tissue parasitism was confirmed through positive imunomarcation. This is a first report of pericardium compromisement of naturally Leishmania infected adult dog.