title: Epidemiology, clinical signs, histopathology and molecular characterization of canine leproid granuloma: a retrospective study of cases from Brazil.
abstract: Thirty-eight cases of canine leproid granuloma were diagnosed between 2000 and 2008. Diagnosis was based upon clinical and histopathological findings and the presence of acid-fast bacilli in skin sections. The clinical lesions were localized predominantly on the pinnae and included papules, plaques and nodules, with or without ulceration. Boxer dogs were the breed most affected. Histopathological findings included nodular to diffuse pyogranulomatous, lymphoplasmocytic inflammatory infiltrates, with or without necrosis, localized in the dermis or subcutaneous tissue. The bacillary loading and morphology were variable among the lesions analysed. There was no significant correlation between bacterial load and histopathological pattern, dominant type of inflammatory infiltration or the amount of necrosis or giant cells. No correlation was observed between giant cells and histopathological pattern. In the majority of cases where a PCR-based assay was done, a novel mycobacterium species as the main aetiological agent was identified, as reported in previous studies.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. lissandro@ufv.br
authors.forename: Lissandro Gonçalves
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Conceição
authors.forename: Livia Maria Rosa
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Acha
authors.forename: Alexandre Secorun
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.forename: Fernanda G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Assis
authors.forename: Fabricia Hallack
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Loures
authors.forename: Fabyano
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fonseca e Silva
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D004285:Dogs; D006099:Granuloma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017192:Skin Diseases, Bacterial / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial