Ectopic Dioctophyme renale in the thoracic and abdominal cavities associated with renal parasitism in a dog.

Dioctophymosis is the disease caused by the nematode Dioctophyme renale, normally found parasitizing the right kidney of dogs. The absence of symptoms is frequent in parasitized animals. The surgical procedures are commonly performed to treat this disease. This work describes a case involving a canine with renal and ectopic parasitosis in the abdominal and thoracic regions. A mixed-breed female dog, approximately four months old, was diagnosed by ultrasound as for the presence of D. renale in the right kidney and abdominal and thoracic cavities. The animal underwent exploratory celiotomy, nephrectomy of the parasitized kidney, and transdiaphragmatic thoracotomy to remove the thoracic parasite, with a single abdominal surgical wound and excellent postoperative recovery. Several reports of ectopic parasitosis are found, however, the thoracic finding is unusual, and curative therapeutic transdiaphragmatic thoracotomy for dioctophymosis in dogs has not been previously described.

Thymomodulin in association with antifungal drugs in the therapy of cats with disseminated cutaneous sporotrichosis: a prospective study / Associação de timomodulina na terapia de gatos com esporotricose cutânea disseminada: um estudo prospectivo

ABSTRACT: Feline sporotrichosis is a relevant mycose in veterinary medicine due to its severity and zoonotic potential and the fact that it can be difficult to treat. The immune status of the animal exerts influence on the prognosis of the disease and determines its clinical outcome. This study evaluated the efficacy of the immunomodulatory thymomodulin as an adjunct to antifungal therapy in cats with disseminated sporotrichosis; thymomodulin was used in association with itraconazole (ITL) and potassium iodide (KI) to treat this fungal disease in the feline patient. Thirty-one cats (n=31) diagnosed with disseminated cutaneous sporotrichosis were divided into two groups as follows: Group 1 (G1) (n=16), which included those animals that were treated with thymomodulin in association with ITL and KI, and Group 2 (G2) (n=15) which had pacientsthat received ITL and KI only. The response to different treatment modalities was assessed, considering the survival rate, time frame for the lesions to respond to therapy, and clinical improvement or deterioration according to a body condition score system. Animals from G1 had a survival rate of nearly 100% (93.6%) that was approximately twice higher than the survival rate of those animals from G2 (53%). Moreover, patients from G1 had a significantly better prognosis, improved body condition, and shorter time for remission of the extra cutaneous clinical signs (p<0.02). Our findings showed that the association of thymomodulin with ITL and KI improves the prognosis of cats with disseminated cutaneous sporotrichosis.

RESUMO: A esporotricose é uma das micoses de maior relevância na medicina veterinária, tanto pela sua gravidade, seu potencial zoonótico e seu difícil tratamento. Sabe-se que o aspecto imunológico do gato representa um fator prognóstico determinante. O objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar a eficácia do imunomodulador timomodulina como adjuvante a terapia antifúngica, itraconazol (ITL) com iodeto de potássio (KI), em gatos com esporotricose disseminada. Trinta e um gatos (n=31) com esporotricose cutânea disseminada foram segregados em dois grupos, o grupo 1 (G1) (n=16) tratado com ITL, KI associada à timomodulina e o grupo 2 (G2) (n=15) apenas ITL e KI. Foi avaliada a resposta clínica aos diferentes tratamentos, levando em consideração a taxa de sobrevivência, tempo de resposta das lesões e progressão do escore de condição corporal. O G1 apresentou taxa de sobrevivência de quase 100% (93,6%), aproximadamente o dobro do encontrado no G2 (53%). Mais que isso, o G1 demonstrou significativamente melhor prognóstico, aprimoramento do escore de condição corporal e menor tempo para remissão dos sinais clínicos extracutâneos (p<0,02). Sendo assim, a associação da timomodulina ao ITL e KI melhora o prognóstico de gatos com esporotricose cutânea disseminada.