Pulmonary Granulomas Associated with PAS-Positive Bodies in Brachycephalic Dogs.

Pulmonary granulomas were incidental findings at necropsy in 18 dogs, mainly of the brachycephalic breeds. These lesions were multifocal along smaller bronchi and the subpleural tissue at the margins of lobes. The granulomatous reaction contained numerous periodic acid-Schiff (PAS)-positive bodies that histochemically had reactions suggestive of a calcium-lipid-mucopolysaccharide complex. Although the cause is not clear, the location and distribution are suggestive of an inhalation or aspiration pneumonia. The shortened muzzle of brachycephalic breeds, particularly when there is concurrent upper respiratory disease, may predispose them to these bodies.