Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Science, Colorado State University, 1644 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1644, USA.
Virginia Veterinary Specialists, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
Mycopathologia. 2018 Apr;183(2):479-484. doi: 10.1007/s11046-017-0183-z. Epub 2017 Jul 29.
A 6-year-old, spayed female cat was presented with acute respiratory signs and pleural effusion. Computed tomography scan revealed a large, lobulated mass effect in the ventral right hemithorax with concurrent sternal lymphadenopathy. A cytologic sample of the mass contained pyogranulomatous inflammation, necrotic material, and abundant yeast structures that lacked a distinct capsule and demonstrated rare pseudohyphal forms. Fungal culture and biochemical testing identified the yeast as Cryptococcus albidus, with susceptibility to all antifungal agents tested. However, subsequent 18S PCR identified 99% homology with a strain of Cryptococcus neoformans and only 92% homology with C. albidus. The patient responded well to fluconazole therapy unlike the only known previous report of C. albidus in a cat. The unusual cytologic morphology in this case underscores the need for ancillary testing apart from microscopy for fungal identification. Though C. albidus should be considered as a potential feline pathogen, confirmation with PCR is recommended when such rare non-neoformans species are encountered.
一只 6 岁已绝育的雌性猫出现急性呼吸道症状和胸腔积液。计算机断层扫描显示右侧胸腔下部有一个大的、分叶状的肿块效应，同时伴有胸骨淋巴结病。肿块的细胞学样本含有化脓性肉芽肿性炎症、坏死物质和大量酵母结构，缺乏明显的囊壁，罕见假菌丝形式。真菌培养和生化试验鉴定酵母为白念珠菌，对所有测试的抗真菌药物均敏感。然而，随后的 18S PCR 鉴定与新型隐球菌的同源性为 99%，与白念珠菌的同源性仅为 92%。与已知的唯一一例猫白念珠菌感染不同，该患者对氟康唑治疗反应良好。这种情况下不寻常的细胞学形态强调了除了显微镜检查之外，还需要进行辅助真菌鉴定测试。虽然白念珠菌应被视为潜在的猫病原体，但当遇到如此罕见的非新型隐球菌物种时，建议使用 PCR 进行确认。
