title: Coccidioidomycosis: a diagnostic challenge.
abstract: Coccidioidomycosis is a systemic fungal infection acquired endemically in the southwestern United States. Clinical disease is quite common in the dog; though less frequently recognized in the cat, disease is often severe at the time of diagnosis. Diagnosis can be a challenge because serology, while specific, is not very sensitive and quantitative titration of antibodies does not correlate entirely with clinical disease in dogs. Radiographs, serum biochemistry tests and complete blood counts are beneficial additions to the database when establishing a diagnosis; cytology, histopathology, and culture are definitive when available. Advanced imaging can detect central nervous system and subtle skeletal lesions. Disease can occur in most organs of the body and may prove a diagnostic challenge requiring several modalities. Coccidioidomycosis may need to be considered both in animals in the endemic region and in those with a travel history through it.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Science and Microbiology, Valley Fever Center for Excellence, The University of Arizona, bldg 90 room 221, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA. lfshubit@u.arizona.edu
authors.forename: Lisa F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Shubitz
authors.forename: Sharon M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Dial
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002161:Camelids, New World; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D002415:Cats; D002417:Cattle; D003047:Coccidioidomycosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D004285:Dogs; D006041:Goats; D006736:Horses; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000662:veterinary; D012756:Sheep; D013552:Swine; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000662:veterinary