Animal Emergency Service, Carrara, Queensland, 4211, Australia.
School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, 4072, Australia.
Aust Vet J. 2023 Oct;101(10):377-382. doi: 10.1111/avj.13273. Epub 2023 Aug 3.
Cryptococcus is one of the most common systemic mycosis worldwide, infecting young adults of the large to giant breed dogs. Infection is commonly acquired from the environment via the sinonasal cavity as the main portal of entry. It either remains there, or spreads to the central nervous system (CNS) and the eye (optic nerve and retina) by penetration of the cribriform plate, or haematogenously to other viscera. Lung involvement is uncommon in cats and dogs in contrast to human and equine patients. Whilst there is a wide genetic diversity amongst Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii isolates along the West Coast and Northern parts of Australia, the molecular diversity of C. gatti is considered very low on the East Coast of Australia, with a huge preponderance of VGI cases. We report on a young small breed brachycephalic dog that presented with extreme gastrointestinal and respiratory signs, but no CNS involvement. It is the first reported case of C. gattii VGII genotype in a companion animal from Queensland.
A 9-month old female entire French Bulldog presented initially for diarrhoea. Clinical progression was accompanied by the development of respiratory signs, so the patient was referred to a 24 h care facility. Following hospitalisation, the patient became hypoxemic requiring mechanical ventilation. A bronchoalveolar lavage performed antemortem confirmed abundant Cryptococcal spp. Further culturing and genotyping identified the species as Cryptococcus gattii VGII. Post-mortem findings indicated gross gastrointestinal and mesenteric involvement, with possible dissemination to the local mesenteric lymph node and lungs.
This case describes a rare example of a Cryptococcus spp suspected of disseminating from the gastrointestinal tract to the lungs, without involvement of the CNS. The observation of this finding in a small brachycephalic breed is unusual, and the finding of genotype VGII on the East Coast of Queensland is extremely unusual as there is no prior travel history of the dog or owners. The presence of a miliary lung pattern with primary gastrointestinal disease in a small breed dog warrants adding cryptococcosis to the differential diagnosis.
隐球菌是全球最常见的系统性真菌病之一，感染大型至巨型犬的年轻成年犬。感染通常通过鼻腔从环境中获得，作为主要入口。它要么停留在那里，要么通过穿透筛板穿透到中枢神经系统 (CNS) 和眼睛（视神经和视网膜），要么通过血源性传播到其他内脏。与人类和马类患者相比，猫和狗的肺部受累并不常见。虽然沿澳大利亚西海岸和北部地区有广泛的新型隐球菌和隐球菌种间遗传多样性，但在澳大利亚东海岸，C. gatti 的分子多样性被认为非常低，VGI 病例居多。我们报告了一只年轻的小型短头犬，表现出严重的胃肠道和呼吸道症状，但无中枢神经系统受累。这是昆士兰州首例伴侣动物感染 C. gattii VGII 基因型的病例。
一只 9 个月大的雌性法国斗牛犬最初出现腹泻症状。临床进展伴有呼吸症状的发展，因此将患者转介至 24 小时护理机构。住院后，患者出现低氧血症，需要机械通气。生前进行的支气管肺泡灌洗证实存在大量隐球菌属。进一步的培养和基因分型确定该物种为隐球菌 gattii VGII。尸检结果表明胃肠道和肠系膜广泛受累，可能向局部肠系膜淋巴结和肺部扩散。
本病例描述了一例罕见的隐球菌属疑似从胃肠道传播到肺部而不涉及中枢神经系统的病例。在小型短头犬中观察到这种发现是不寻常的，在昆士兰州东海岸发现基因型 VGII 极为罕见，因为狗或主人没有先前的旅行史。在小型犬中出现粟粒性肺部模式和原发性胃肠道疾病时，应将隐球菌病纳入鉴别诊断。
