title: Disseminated angiostrongylosis with massive cardiac and cerebral involvement in a dog from Italy.
abstract: A case of disseminated angiostrongylosis caused by Angiostrongylus vasorum in a dog living in Italy is here described. The dog was referred for severe respiratory distress and epileptic seizures; clinicopathological findings were consistent with severe pneumonia associated with right-sided heart failure and multifocal involvement of the brain. Bronchoalveolar fluid analysis identified a multitude of nematode larvae, identified as A. vasorum by conventional and biomolecular (PCR) methods. The major anatomo-histopathological lesions were chronic granulomatous pneumonia, a severe multifocal granulomatous myocarditis and multifocal mild vascular and inflammatory disease in the brain. A. vasorum should be included among the differentials of dogs with cardiovascular and neurologic disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biopathological Science and Hygiene of Animal and Food Productions Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, 4 S Costanzo Street, Postal Box 06126, Perugia, Italy. elvio.lepri@unipg.it
authors.forename: Elvio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lepri
authors.forename: Fabrizia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Veronesi
authors.forename: Donato
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Traversa
authors.forename: Maria Beatrice
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.forename: Maria Chiara
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Marchesi
authors.forename: Arianna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miglio
authors.forename: Maria Teresa
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Mandara
mesh_terms: D000801:Angiostrongylus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000469:parasitology; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D004285:Dogs; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000150:complications / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D006321:Heart / Q000469:parasitology; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D007558:Italy; D008168:Lung / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008853:Microscopy; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000150:complications / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D017206:Strongylida Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*