Small intestinal intussusception in five dogs with acute renal failure and suspected leptospirosis (L. australis).

OBJECTIVES: This case series describes 5 dogs with small intestinal intussusception and acute kidney injury due to infection with Leptospira interrogans serovar Australis. CASE SERIES SUMMARY: Small intestinal intussusception was observed in 4 dogs diagnosed with acute kidney injury due to leptospirosis presented between 1997 and 2005. Intussusception was diagnosed at initial presentation or later during hospitalization. An additional dog fulfilling our inclusion criteria was presented to a small animal specialty clinic nearby and was included. Upon admission, all dogs were severely azotemic and thrombocytopenic. All 5 dogs showed the strongest microscopic agglutination test serology reaction to L. interrogans serovar Australis. Two dogs survived with no apparent residual renal damage, 1 survived with subsequent mild chronic kidney disease, and 2 dogs were euthanized at the owners' request due to a guarded prognosis. NEW OR UNIQUE INFORMATION PROVIDED: Intussusception can occur or may be seen in dogs with leptospirosis due to L. interrogans serovar Australis and patients should be monitored closely for this potential complication. As all 5 dogs described in this case series showed the highest titer for L. interrogans serovar Australis, these precautions may be especially applied in geographic areas where this particular serovar is seen.

Serological diagnosis of canine alveolar echinococcosis.

Canine alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a rare liver disease caused by the larval stage (metacestode) of E. multilocularis. Its diagnosis so far is rather difficult and invasive. Imaging techniques for the diagnosis have been described recently and in this study, the serological diagnosis of canine AE was evaluated in 30 dogs with confirmed AE using ELISA based on seven different antigens (E. multilocularis-antigens: Em2G11, EmII/3-10, protoscolex (EmP), excretory/secretory and adult integument (EmAd/I); E. granulosus antigens: hydatid fluid (EgHF) and antigen B (EgAgB)) and by the detection of circulating Em2G11-antigen. EmII/3-10 and Em2G11-based tests detected AE in 50 and 53%. The combined serological investigation for specific circulating Em2G11-antigen and specific antibodies against this antigen showed a sensitivity of 77%. This strategy is useful in animals with large parasite masses and ascites. The highest sensitivities for AE were obtained by the EmAd/I and the EmP antigens (97 and 93% sensitivity) with high specificities in the control group of 76 dogs (100 and 98.7%, respectively). Heterologous E. granulosus antigens (EgHF and EgAgB) showed low sensitivities (43 and 50%, respectively) with high numbers of unspecific reactions (>16%) in the control group. In the follow-up of four dogs, the serological reaction patterns against the antigens Em2G11, EmP and EmAd/I showed some correlations with the development of the parasite mass. Intestinal infections cannot be differentiated from AE by most antigens (except EmII/3-10) and have to be excluded by the absence of coproantigens or DNA of E. multilocularis in faecal samples.

Radiographic, ultrasonographic, and computed tomographic appearance of alveolar echinococcosis in dogs.

Alveolar echinococcosis is a rare metacestodal infection of humans and domestic animals with Echinococcus multilocularis and predominantly affects the liver. In humans, diagnosis is based on serology, ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), techniques that have not yet been validated for the diagnosis of alveolar echinococcosis in dogs. Therefore, the purpose of this retrospective study was to describe the radiographic, ultrasonographic, and CT appearance of canine alveolar echinococcosis. Eleven dogs with confirmed alveolar echinococcosis (PCR or histology from biopsy material of metacestode tissue) diagnosed between 1995 and 2003 were included in the study. The age of the dogs at initial presentation ranged from 7 months to 10.5 years. Abdominal radiographs were made in nine animals, abdominal ultrasonography was performed in 10 dogs, and two CT studies in one dog, respectively. The history, clinical presentation, and laboratory findings for the 11 dogs were unspecific, the most frequent clinical finding being nonpainful progressive abdominal distention. All radiographed dogs had large liver masses; they contained small mineralizations in five. The most frequent ultrasonographic finding was multiple large cavitary masses with or without wall mineralizations. Seven animals received surgical and subsequent medical therapy with albendazole (10mg/kg) and all went into clinical remission. This study reviewed for the first time imaging findings associated with alveolar echinococcosis. The disease has to be included in the list of differential diagnoses in dogs with large, cavitary liver masses, particularly when mineralization is noted.