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Clinical laboratory evaluation of deep mycotic diseases in dogs
Author(s) -
CARAKOSTAS MICHAEL C.,
MILLER RICHARD I.,
GOSSETT KENT A.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
journal of small animal practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1748-5827
pISSN - 0022-4510
DOI - 10.1111/j.1748-5827.1984.tb03382.x
Subject(s) - medicine , histoplasmosis , blastomycosis , monocytosis , neutrophilia , dermatology , pathology , bone marrow
A retrospective study of 27 dogs with deep mycoses was conducted to evaluate the usefulness of initial laboratory results in determining a diagnosis. Fifteen cases of disseminated blastomycosis, five cases of disseminated histoplasmosis and seven cases of gastrointestinal phycomycosis were studied. Haematologic results consistent with a chronic inflammatory disease (mild to moderate anaemia and moderate to marked monocytosis) were common findings in blastomycosis and phycomycosis. Cases of histoplasmosis were characterized by a more severe anaemia with a neutrophilia and left shift. The severe anaemia present in three out of five (3/5) dogs with histoplasmosis was apparently due to myelophthisis and intravascular erythrocyte fragmentation. Coagulation function tests and/or the haemograms suggested the presence of microangiopathic haemolysis in four dogs with histoplasmosis. Clinical chemistry results in blastomycosis and phycomycosis were usually unremarkable. Hepatic lesions in histoplasmosis were suggested by increases in serum alkaline phosphatase and decreases in serum albumin. Cytology was frequently diagnostic for blastomycosis (11/13 cases) and histoplasmosis (3/4 cases) but was inconsistent in phycomycosis (1/3 cases).