Osteosarcoma in a free-living yellow armadillo (Euphractus sexcinctus).

An adult male free-living yellow armadillo (Euphractus sexcinctus) was found by hunters and referred for clinical evaluation because of a tumour-like lesion on the carapace. The animal was lethargic and weak with severe dehydration, enophthalmos and cachexia, and was euthanized because of its very poor clinical condition. Necropsy revealed a whitish, exophytic, irregular and moist mass (7 × 6.5 × 1.5 cm) in the caudal third of the carapace. On cut section, the mass was hard, compact, irregular and whitish. Histopathology revealed a densely cellular, expansive, poorly delimited neoplasm composed of malignant mesenchymal cells arranged in islands and cords, interspersed by numerous areas of irregularly mineralized osteoid matrix. Neoplastic cells were intensely immunolabelled for vimentin. The diagnosis of a high-grade osteosarcoma of osteoblastic subtype was based on the clinical, gross, histopathological and immunohistochemical findings. This first report of an osteosarcoma in an armadillo expands the list of armadillo diseases and will assist the management of these animals by veterinarians.

A Retrospective Study of Pythiosis in Domestic Animals in Northeastern Brazil.

Pythiosis is an endemic disease in northeastern Brazil and we now report the epidemiological, clinical and pathological findings in a retrospective study of naturally occurring cases in domestic animals. From January 1985 to December 2020, the Laboratory of Animal Pathology of the Federal University of Campina Grande examined 13,542 tissue samples from necropsies and biopsies. Among these samples, 306 were diagnosed as pythiosis: 195 cases in horses, 75 in sheep, 19 in dogs, six in mules, four in cattle, three in cats, two in goats, one in a donkey and one in an ostrich. Affected equids had lesions in the skin, mammary glands and nasal cavities. Affected sheep had cutaneous, nasal and digestive lesions while cattle and goats had cutaneous lesions. Carnivores developed lesions, mainly in the alimentary tract, of sufficient severity to cause death or result in euthanasia. The single affected bird had lesions in the alimentary tract and surgical excision resulted in remission. The disease had a long and life-threatening clinical course in most affected species but resolved spontaneously in cattle. Clinical signs were directly related to the location of the lesions, which were invariably characterized by chronic inflammation associated with intralesional hyphae. Veterinary clinicians and pathologists should be familiar with the clinicopathological features of pythiosis and the wide range of susceptible animal species.

Pythiosis in cattle in Northeastern Brazil / Pitiose em bovinos no Nordeste do Brasil

The epidemiological, clinical and pathological aspects of cutaneous pythiosis occurring in cattle from three farms in the Northeastern of Brazil are described. A biopsy of the lesions of one bovine from each farm was performed. In two cases, the affected cattle had contact with water accumulated in dams during the dry season in the semiarid region. Another case occurred in the coastal tropical region in cattle grazing around irrigation channels. Clinically, lesions were observed mainly on the skin of the thoracic and/or pelvic limbs, characterized by flat and irregular ulcerated areas or nodules of varying sizes, some with fistulous tracts penetrating deep into the subcutaneous tissue. In one case the regional lymph nodes were affected. Histologically, in all cases, pyogranulomatous dermatitis associated with negative hyphae images, in hematoxylin-eosin stained sections, were observed. In sections stained by Grocott methenamine silver, the hyphae measured 2-8μm and had irregular ramifications and rare septations. Immunohistochemistry technique demonstrated strong immunolabeling for Pythium insidiosum. Pythiosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of dermatopathies in cattle in the Northeastern of Brazil.(AU)

Descrevem-se os aspectos epidemiológicos, clínicos e patológicos da pitiose cutânea em bovinos de três propriedades do Nordeste do Brasil. Uma biópsia das lesões de um bovino de cada propriedade foi realizada. Em dois casos, os bovinos afetados tiveram acesso à água acumulada em açudes durante a estação seca da região semiárida. O outro bovino acometido estava a pastoreio próximo a canais de irrigação na região litorânea. Clinicamente, as lesões foram observadas principalmente na pele dos membros torácicos e/ou pélvicos e caracterizavam-se por áreas planas e irregulares de ulceração ou nódulos de tamanhos variados, alguns com trajetos fistulosos penetrando profundamente no tecido subcutâneo. Em um caso, os linfonodos regionais foram afetados. Histologicamente, em todos os casos, observou-se dermatite piogranulomatosa associada a imagens negativas de hifas, em secções corados por hematoxilina e eosina. Em seções coradas por metenamina de prata de Grocott, as hifas mediam 2-8μm e possuíam ramificações irregulares com raras septações. A imuno-histoquímica demonstrou forte imunomarcação para Pythium insidiosum. A pitiose deve ser incluída como diagnóstico diferencial de dermatopatias de bovinos no Nordeste do Brasil.(AU)

Aspectos epidemiológicos, clínicos e anatomopatológicos da hepatite infecciosa canina: 15 casos / Epidemiological, clinical and pathological aspects of infectious canine hepatitis: 15 cases

Descrevem-se os principais aspectos epidemiológicos, clínicos e anatomopatológicos de casos de hepatite infecciosa canina diagnosticados no Laboratório de Patologia Animal da Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, durante o período de janeiro de 2003 a dezembro de 2016. Dos 1.640 cães necropsiados, 15 foram diagnosticados como hepatite infecciosa canina (0,91%). Dos cães acometidos nove eram machos e seis fêmeas. As idades variaram de 45 dias a sete anos, sendo a maioria filhotes. Dez animais não apresentavam raça definida, quatro eram Poodles e um Rottweiler. A maioria dos cães não recebeu nenhum tipo de protocolo vacinal. Os cães eram oriundos dos municípios de Patos, São Mamede e Teixeira, pertencentes ao estado da Paraíba, Nordeste do Brasil. A maioria dos cães apresentou curso clínico variando de hiperagudo a agudo. Os principais sinais clínicos foram convulsão, apatia e hiporexia. Na necropsia, as principais alterações foram observadas no fígado que se apresentava de pálido a alaranjado e com áreas irregulares avermelhadas na superfície capsular, além de acentuação do padrão lobular e edema na parede da vesícula biliar. Hemorragias foram observadas em vários órgãos. Na histopatologia havia necrose centrolobular de hepatócitos associada a corpúsculos de inclusão viral intranucleares, hemorragia e infiltrado inflamatório misto. O diagnóstico foi estabelecido com base nas características lesões histopatológicas e foi confirmado por imuno-histoquímica. A hepatite infecciosa canina ocorre ocasionalmente na Paraíba, acometendo particularmente cães jovens e não vacinados.(AU)

We described the main epidemiological, clinical and pathological aspects of canine infectious hepatitis diagnosed in the Laboratory of Animal Pathology of the Federal University of Campina Grande during the period from January 2003 to December 2016. Of the 1,640 necropsied dogs, 15 were diagnosed as infectious canine hepatitis (0.91%). Of the dogs affected nine were males and six females. The ages ranged from 45 days to seven years, being most of them young. Ten animals were mixed breed, four were Poodles and one Rottweiler. Most of the dogs do not received any vaccine protocol. The dogs came from the municipalities of Patos, São Mamede and Teixeira, from Paraiba, northeastern of Brazil. Most of the dogs presented clinical course varying from hyperacute to acute. The main clinical signs were seizure, apathy and hyporexia. At necropsy, the major alterations were observed in the liver, which was pale to orange and with irregular reddish areas on the capsular surface, besides accentuation of the lobular pattern and edema in the wall of the gallbladder. Hemorrhages were observed in several organs. In the histopathology there was centrolobular necrosis of hepatocytes associated with intranuclear viral inclusion bodies, hemorrhages and mixed inflammatory infiltrate. The diagnosis was established based on the characteristic histopathological lesions and was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Infectious canine hepatitis occurs occasionally in the Paraiba, affecting particularly young and unvaccinated dogs.(AU)

Surto de parvovirose cardíaca em filhotes de cães no Brasil / Outbreak of parvoviral myocarditis in puppies in Brazil

Descrevem-se os aspectos epidemiológicos, clínicos, patológicos e imuno-histoquímicos de um surto de parvovirose cardíaca em filhotes de cães. O surto ocorreu em um canil localizado na cidade de Parnamirim, Rio Grande do Norte, região Nordeste do Brasil. De uma ninhada de nove filhotes, um foi natimorto e seis morreram entre 35-57 dias de idade após apresentarem sinais clínicos cardiorrespiratórios com evolução de 10 minutos a três dias. Dos seis filhotes que morreram, dois foram encaminhados para necropsia. No exame macroscópico, ambos os animais apresentaram discreta efusão pericárdica, coração marcadamente globoso, difusa palidez nas superfícies epicárdica e miocárdica e dilatação da cavidade ventricular esquerda. Nos pulmões, observaram-se áreas multifocais avermelhadas na superfície pleural e ao corte fluía líquido espumoso e levemente avermelhado. O fígado estava difusamente aumentado de tamanho, com acentuação do padrão lobular e com áreas pálidas entremeadas por áreas escuras que, ao corte, se aprofundavam ao parênquima. Microscopicamente observou-se miocardite linfohistiocítica, necrosante, associada a fibrose intersticial e corpúsculos de inclusões virais basofílicos intranucleares em cardiomiócitos. Nos pulmões observou-se pneumonia intersticial e edema, e no fígado notou-se degeneração e necrose centrolobular a mediozonal associada à congestão e hemorragia. O diagnóstico foi confirmado por imuno-histoquímica. A forma miocárdica da parvovirose canina pode ocorrer ocasionalmente em filhotes de cadelas que não foram efetivamente vacinadas. Essa forma clínica da doença caracteriza-se por alterações cardiorrespiratórias e morte hiperaguda ou aguda dos animais afetados.(AU)

We describe the epidemiological, clinical, pathological and immunohistochemical aspects of parvoviral myocarditis outbreak in puppies. The outbreak occurred in a kennel located in Parnamirim, Rio Grande do Norte, Northeastern of Brazil. In a litter of nine pups, one was stillbirth and six died between 35-57 days of age after cardiopulmonary clinical signs with evolution of 10 minutes to three days. Of the six puppies that died, two were sent for necropsy. On gross examination, both animals had discreet pericardial effusion, markedly distended heart, diffuse pallor in epicardial and myocardial surfaces and dilation of the left ventricular cavity. The lungs were observed multifocal reddish areas in the pleural surface and at cutting flowed foamed and slightly red liquid. The liver was diffusely increased in size, with lobular standard accentuation and pale areas interspersed with dark areas wich deepened in the parenchyma. Microscopically observed linfohistiocítica myocarditis, necrotizing, associated with interstitial fibrosis and basophilic intranuclear viral inclusions corpuscles in cardiomyocytes. In the lungs there were edema and interstitial pneumonia and in the liver was noted centrilobular to mediozonal degeneration and necrosis associated with congestion and hemorrhage. The diagnosis was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. The parvoviral myocarditis can occasionally occur in puppies of bitches that have not been effectively vaccinated. This clinical form of the disease characterized by cardiorespiratory changes and hyperacute or acute death of the affected animals.(AU)