(2) Clínica Veterinaria Aeropuerto ( Córdoba)
(3) Departamento de Medicina y Cirugúa Animal. Universidad de Córdoba.
Emilio Escribano (2)
Antonio Doblas (2)
Beatriz Blanco Navas (3)
Pedro J. Ginel Pérez (3)
The main species causing canine hepatozoonosis are Hepatozoon americanum, found in Southern USA, and H. canis, which is distributed worldwide in tropical and subtropical areas and that causes much less severe symptoms. The skin is not a target organ in H. canis infection but a previous report in USA described a 7-month old dog with a solitary skin nodule where neutrophils containing H. canis gamonts could be retrieved by cytology. We describe here two dogs with pyogranulomatous nodular lesions where H. canis gamonts were present in the cytological samples.
Two female Spanish Greyhounds dogs were referred for clinical examination of lameness and severe dermatological lesions. The kennel was located besides a sheep farm separated just for a wire fence. Previously, serology test for leishmaniosis had been negative and there has been temporary response to clindamycin administration.
Both dogs presented similar lesions consisting in severe inter-digital ulcers, bleeding nodules, and diffuse crusty lesions on dorsal trunk, thorax and between shoulder blades. Digital lesions were very painful causing lameness, but did not involve footpad skin. Differential diagnosis included parasitic and infectious nodular-ulcerative diseases. Cytology revealed neutrophils containing within their cytoplasm inclusions of Hepatoozon sp. gamonts. Due to previous failures to completely cure the condition owners declined to pursue further treatments and the dogs were euthanized without allowing us to take skin biopsies.
Although a primary pathogenic role could not be established, the presence of H. canis in pyogranulomatous lesions skin lesions of dogs exposed to ticks should be considered.
BIBLIOGRAFÍA
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