title: FLOTAC and Mini-FLOTAC for uro-microscopic diagnosis of Capillaria plica (syn. Pearsonema plica) in dogs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Capillaria plica (syn. Pearsonema plica) is a nematode that resides in the urinary bladder and rarely in ureters or in the kidney pelvis of various carnivores, especially foxes and dogs. Urine sedimentation technique is actually the only diagnostic tool that permits the identification of C. plica eggs, but its sensitivity is low and when an infection is suspected (or when it is necessary to confirm treatment efficacy) more than one examination of urine sediment should be performed. The present paper reports a clinical case of natural C. plica infection in a dog from southern Italy. In addition, two new techniques, FLOTAC and Mini-FLOTAC, were used for the diagnosis of C. plica in dog urine and compared with the technique of sedimentation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using FLOTAC with fresh urine and sodium chloride as flotation solution, were obtained the best results for the diagnosis of C. plica in dog urine in term of eggs counted (mean eggs per 10 ml of urine = 70.3 FLOTAC vs 40.3 Mini FLOTAC vs 32.8 sedimentation) and coefficient of variation (CV%) (6.2 FLOTAC vs 13.4 Mini-FLOTAC vs 32.9 sedimentation).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The FLOTAC was the more sensitive method, but also the Mini-FLOTAC could be a valid alternative diagnostic method because gave better results than the classical sedimentation and can be used in place of the FLOTAC in laboratories where the centrifugation step cannot be performed.
authors.forename: Maria Paola
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Maurelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions, University of Naples Federico II CREMOPAR, Campania Region, Naples, Italy. lrinaldi@unina.it.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rinaldi
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rubino
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lia
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Musella
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cringoli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002195:Capillaria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000652:urine; D004285:Dogs; D017189:Enoplida Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D001745:Urinary Bladder Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*