Hypersensitivity pneumonitis associated with inhalation of spores (lycoperdonosis) in a 3-month-old English setter dog in Quebec.

Can Vet J

Département des sciences cliniques, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, 3200 rue Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec J2S 2M2 (Lécuyer, Auffret, Martin, Letendre, Finck); Département de pathologie et de microbiologie, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, 3200 rue Sicotte, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec J2S 2M2 (Corrales Mesa, Bédard); Centre Vétérinaire Laval, 4530 A. 440, Laval, Québec H7T 2P7 (Duval).

Published: June 2024

AI Article Synopsis

  • A 3-month-old female English setter in Quebec presented with severe respiratory distress, leading to the discovery of fungal spores in its lungs during bronchoalveolar lavage.
  • The dog’s health rapidly worsened within 24 hours and it was euthanized; post-mortem tests confirmed the presence of lycoperdonosis, a fungal infection from inhaling mushroom spores.
  • This is the first documented case of lycoperdonosis in eastern Canada, highlighting the need for veterinarians to consider spore inhalation in similar acute respiratory cases and to take detailed patient histories.

Article Abstract

A 3-month-old female English setter dog was presented to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Université de Montréal (Quebec) with acute respiratory distress. The dog had moderately increased C-reactive protein concentrations, and thoracic radiographs revealed a moderate, caudodorsal, nodular-to-miliary alveolo-interstitial pulmonary pattern that was worse in the perihilar region. Initial differential diagnoses included a fungal pneumonia (, blastomycosis or histoplasmosis). Cytology of the bronchoalveolar lavage revealed several round, green structures ~2 μm in diameter, consistent with fungal spores. The dog was hospitalized, but within 24 h the respiratory condition deteriorated and euthanasia was elected. Post-mortem panfungal PCR and sequencing tests identified the spores as sp. Retrospectively, the owners recalled that the dog had played in a wood pile with mushrooms and had sneezed in a cloud of spores, implying inhalation of spores. This is the first report of a confirmed case of canine lycoperdonosis in eastern Canada (Quebec), and the radiographic features in this case differed slightly from previous reports. Diagnosis before bronchoalveolar lavage analysis was challenging, as spore inhalation was not initially reported. Although the disease is infrequently reported in dogs, this case report reminds veterinarians to consider lycoperdonosis as a differential diagnosis when addressing animals presented with acute dyspnea with similar radiographic lesions, and highlights the importance of history and cytology in diagnosing this condition. Key clinical message: Hypersensitivity pneumonitis secondary to inhalation of spores must be included in differential diagnoses for a dog with acute onset of respiratory signs and a nodular-to-miliary interstitial pulmonary pattern coalescing in patchy perihilar alveolar pulmonary lesions, and should prompt clinicians to question owners regarding inhalation of mushroom spores.Although cytological examination of a bronchoalveolar lavage reveals the presence of fungal spores, panfungal PCR and sequencing tests are needed to pinpoint the species involved.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11132174PMC

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

inhalation spores
12
bronchoalveolar lavage
12
hypersensitivity pneumonitis
8
english setter
8
setter dog
8
pulmonary pattern
8
differential diagnoses
8
fungal spores
8
panfungal pcr
8
pcr sequencing
8

Similar Publications

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!