Stephanofilariasis in Holstein cows - Diagnostic approach

Background: Stephanofilariasis is a parasitic disease caused by the nematode Stephanofilaria spp., considered a zoonotic disease, that affects several species, mainly dairy cattle. The condition causes chronic ulcerative dermatitis, due to the mechanical action of the parasite on the hair follicles and dermal papillae. The recommended diagnostic method is histopathological examination, but alternative methods have been studied for the detection of the agent since it does not demonstrate good results. There is no specific treatment, however, the use of organophosphates is recommended. The objective of this work is to report an outbreak of stephanofilariasis with unusual lesions in cattle from a dairy cattle farm in the city of Boa Vista do Buricá, RS, Brazil, as well as to demonstrate an alternative method for the diagnosis of the disease. Cases: We prospectively evaluated 15 Holstein cows, aged between 1 and 10-year-old whose data and materials for diagnosis, were provided by the property owner. The outbreak occurred in the summer, in a period of greater rainfall, affecting cows of different ages and totaling 48% of the herd. These showed ulcerative lesions on the skin of the groin, limbs and interdigital regions, and less frequently in the udder. The samples were obtained through tissue biopsy and scraped from the lesions, being packed in 10% formaldehyde for fixation. Afterward, the formaldehyde was centrifuged at 800 g for 5 min, which consisted of analyzing the sediment through optical microscopy and without staining, aiming at the direct search of the agent. The tissues, on the other hand, underwent routine processing and stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin. Histopathological analysis did not reveal Stephanofilaria sp. subjects in morphological analysis and revealed acanthosis, spongiosis, ulcers and fibrosis in the analyzed tissue. The examination of direct research with formaldehyde proved to be efficient, and fast. In the direct examination of the agent, structures similar to filarial and compatible with Stephanofilaria sp. in all samples. Thus, the present study demonstrated that filariasis can present in the form of outbreaks and with unusual injuries. The examination of direct research with formaldehyde, proved to be efficient and fast. Discussion: Semi-confined and confined animals may have a higher occurrence of strephanofilariasis, since the parasite needs humid and warm environments to proliferate and that, the proliferation of stephanophilariasis vectors is intensified in environments with low sunlight, high temperatures, high humidity, and low cleaning frequency. The city of Boa Vista do Buricá, where the outbreak occurred, reached a minimum average temperature of 18.5ºC and an average of 29ºC, with an average rainfall of 120.5 mm. Cutaneous lesions have been seen in animals from 1 to 10 years of age and no racial predisposition, age, or blackout stage is reported. The histological diagnosis, although mentioned as a form of diagnosis, has low efficacy in finding parasites in the tissue, is also used as a diagnosis, direct examination of the agent with saline solution, and impression of the lesion stained by the Romanoswsky method. However, in this report, formaldehyde proved to be a new option, as efficiently as saline.

Renal myxoma in a feline

Background: Renal neoplasms are a rare condition in felines, with metastatic lymphoma presenting the highest incidencerate. Secondary renal neoplasms are more frequent (88%) than primary renal tumors, with primary mesenquimal renalneoplasms accounting for 22% of the cases and the incidence of benign tumors not exceeding 5%. Myxomas are neoplasmsin undifferentiated mesenchymal cells with abundant reproduction of the myxoid matrix, with few few case reports aboutthis type of neoplasm in the veterinary literature. This study reports the first case of renal myxoma in a young feline afflicted by granulomatous nephritis and diagnosed with FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis).Case: A 9-month-old, male, mixed breed feline, was admitted into the Veterinary Hospital maintained by the Schoolof Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Botucatu, Brazil, presenting symptoms such progressive weight loss andoccasional episodes of emesis for one week, progressing to anorexia, hematochezia, vocalization, lack of coordination,spasms, anuria and inability to defecate. A physical examination revealed moderate dehydration, low temperatures (<33ºC), dyspnea (36 mpm), slight hyperglycemia (187 mg/dL) and distension of the abdomen and of the urinary bladder.The hematological assay and the serum biochemistry assay revealed neutrophilic leukocytosis, thrombocytopenia, anemiaand slight uremia. In view of the severity of the neurologic signs and lack of response to the clinical treatment, the owneropted to euthanize the animal. The necropsy revealed diffused jaundice, with kidney injuries observed through the palecoloration of the tissue and irregular surface with multiple off-white small nodules distributed in a marked and diffuseway. The same injury pattern was observed markedly in the lungs and discretely in the spleen and liver. The material collected was fixed in a 10% formalin solution, and processed according to the routine technique (Hematoxylin & Eosin)...

Renal myxoma in a feline

Background: Renal neoplasms are a rare condition in felines, with metastatic lymphoma presenting the highest incidencerate. Secondary renal neoplasms are more frequent (88%) than primary renal tumors, with primary mesenquimal renalneoplasms accounting for 22% of the cases and the incidence of benign tumors not exceeding 5%. Myxomas are neoplasmsin undifferentiated mesenchymal cells with abundant reproduction of the myxoid matrix, with few few case reports aboutthis type of neoplasm in the veterinary literature. This study reports the first case of renal myxoma in a young feline afflicted by granulomatous nephritis and diagnosed with FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis).Case: A 9-month-old, male, mixed breed feline, was admitted into the Veterinary Hospital maintained by the Schoolof Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Botucatu, Brazil, presenting symptoms such progressive weight loss andoccasional episodes of emesis for one week, progressing to anorexia, hematochezia, vocalization, lack of coordination,spasms, anuria and inability to defecate. A physical examination revealed moderate dehydration, low temperatures (<33ºC), dyspnea (36 mpm), slight hyperglycemia (187 mg/dL) and distension of the abdomen and of the urinary bladder.The hematological assay and the serum biochemistry assay revealed neutrophilic leukocytosis, thrombocytopenia, anemiaand slight uremia. In view of the severity of the neurologic signs and lack of response to the clinical treatment, the owneropted to euthanize the animal. The necropsy revealed diffused jaundice, with kidney injuries observed through the palecoloration of the tissue and irregular surface with multiple off-white small nodules distributed in a marked and diffuseway. The same injury pattern was observed markedly in the lungs and discretely in the spleen and liver. The material collected was fixed in a 10% formalin solution, and processed according to the routine technique (Hematoxylin & Eosin)...(AU)

Habronemose cutânea equina

Foi atendida no Hospital Escola de Medicina Veterinária da FAEF uma égua adulta, da raça Manga larga, ao exame clínico geral o paciente apresentava-se aparentemente saudável e ao exame específico foiobservado nódulo cutâneo de aspecto granulomatoso, aparentemente aderido ao tecido subcutâneo, de consistência firme e superfície ulcerada. O animal foi submetido a um procedimento cirúrgico de nodulectomia e o tecido foi encaminhado à análise histopatológica. O diagnóstico foi de dermatite granulomatosa e eosinofílica, associada a fragmentos de parasitas intralesionais, compatível então com quadro de habronemose cutânea. Este trabalho tem como objetivo relatar um caso de habronemose cutânea equina.

A male mare, from the Manga largo breed, was attended at the School of Veterinary Medicine of the FAEF. On general clinical examination the patient was apparently healthy and on the specific examination a granulomatous aspect nodule apparently adhering to the subcutaneous tissue was observed, with consistency Firm and ulcerated surface. The animal underwent a surgical nodulectomy procedure and the tissue was referred for histopathological analysis. The diagnosis was of granulomatous andeosinophilic dermatitis, associated with fragments of intralesional parasites, compatible with cutaneous haemonasal disease. This paper aims to report a case of equine cutaneous habronemias.