Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università degli Studi di Messina, Polo Universitario Annunziata, 98168, Messina, Italy.
Parasitol Res. 2014 Feb;113(2):711-6. doi: 10.1007/s00436-013-3699-2. Epub 2013 Nov 28.
Subcutaneous dirofilariosis is a zoonosis parasitizing the dog, transmitted by Culicidae mosquitoes. An increasing number of new cases have been reported both in dogs and in humans all over the world. The aim of this work was to describe an uncommon case of recurrent multiple subcutaneous nodules by Dirofilaria repens in a 2-year-old dog. Surgical excision of two nodules on both hind limbs revealed a single thread-like live nematode and multiple parasite fragments, respectively. The parasite was morphologically identified as an adult female of D. repens. Haematoxylin-eosin tissue sections of nodules revealed a diffuse pyogranulomatous angiocentric dermatitis with an intense eosinophilic infiltrate throughout the dermis. One month post-surgery, a new nodular lesion was detected on the right thigh and resolved spontaneously in a few weeks. During the following 3 months, two other nodules were briefly noted both on the right hip and on the left side of the chest. The dog was periodically treated with milbemycin oxime and praziquantel, starting a week before the appearance of the first nodule. Microfilariae were not detected neither in the bloodstream nor in fine-needle aspirates at any time, and the diagnosis was made only after surgery. Practitioners should consider dirofilariosis in the differential diagnosis of subcutaneous swellings, especially if they have a recurrent behaviour, previously described in humans but not in dogs.
皮下组织犬心丝虫病是一种寄生于犬类的人畜共患病，由库蚊传播。在全世界范围内，越来越多的新病例在犬类和人类中被报告。本研究的目的是描述一只 2 岁犬身上发生的一种不常见的复发性多发性皮下结节的病例，这些结节由犬心丝虫引起。在两条后肢上切除两个结节，分别揭示了一条单一的线状活线虫和多个寄生虫碎片。寄生虫在形态上被鉴定为雌性犬心丝虫成虫。结节的苏木精-伊红组织切片显示弥漫性化脓性血管中心性皮炎，真皮中弥漫性嗜酸性粒细胞浸润。手术后一个月，右大腿上发现了一个新的结节性病变，数周后自行消退。在接下来的 3 个月里，在右臀部和左胸部短暂地发现了另外两个结节。这只狗定期接受米尔贝肟和吡喹酮治疗，在第一个结节出现前一周开始治疗。在任何时候都没有在血液或细针抽吸物中检测到微丝蚴，只有在手术后才做出诊断。临床医生在鉴别诊断皮下肿胀时应考虑到犬心丝虫病，特别是如果它们具有复发性，这在人类中已有描述，但在犬类中尚未描述。
