title: Disseminated pythiosis in three horses.
abstract: Three cases of equine subcutaneous pythiosis with dissemination to the internal organs were investigated. The subcutaneous lesions were observed on the mammary gland, nostrils and limbs of the infected horses. Histopathological analysis of the infected tissues revealed a strong eosinophilic reaction, with macrophages, mast cells and giant cells. Sparsely septated hyphal filaments of 4-6 microm diameter were identified in the center of the eosinophilic areas. Specific fluorescent antibody against Pythium insidiosum confirmed the hyphae in the infected tissues in three examined horses. In one of the three cases, the DNA sequences amplified from the infected subcutaneous tissues and internal organs, revealed that P. insidiosum's 18S SSU rDNA amplicons shared 100% identity with those sequences deposit in GenBank. This is the first report confirming by immunochemical and genetic techniques that P. insidiosum can disseminated from superficial to deep structures.
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Pathology Section, Federal University of Lavras, Minas Gerais, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Janildo Ludolf
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.forename: Eulógio Carlos Queiroz
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: de Carvalho
authors.forename: Raimundo Hilton Girão
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Nogueira
authors.forename: Luciana Silva
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Lemos
authors.forename: Leonel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mendoza
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D003881:Dermatomycoses / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006736:Horses; D007239:Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D011775:Pythium / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S; D004247:DNA