title: Neutropenia associated with osteomyelitis due to Hepatozoon canis infection in a dog.
abstract: A 4-year-old, intact male Shiba dog was referred to Yamaguchi University Animal Medical Center, Yamaguchi, Japan, for the following complaints: anorexia, lethargy, intermittent fever, gingival bleeding and abdominal purpura. The dog presented with persistent neutropenia. Histopathological examination of a bone marrow sample revealed round to oval structures that resembled Hepatozoon micromerozoites and formed a "wheel-spoke" pattern. Furthermore, mature neutrophils were observed around these structures. PCR and sequencing using bone marrow aspirate confirmed Hepatozoon canis (H. canis) infection. These findings suggest that the neutropenia observed in this case was associated with osteomyelitis due to H. canis infection. This is the first report of neutropenia associated with H. canis infection. H. canis infection can be included in the differential diagnosis in canine cases of neutropenia in areas where the disease is endemic.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, Yamaguchi University, Yoshida, Yamaguchi, Japan.
authors.forename: Takako
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimokawa Miyama
authors.forename: Saori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Umeki
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Baba
authors.forename: Kumiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sada
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hiraoka
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inokuma
authors.forename: Masaharu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hisasue
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okuda
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mizuno
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004285:Dogs; D016783:Eucoccidiida / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008297:Male; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*