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Disseminated angiostrongylosis with massive cardiac and cerebral involvement in a dog from Italy

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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.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge Dr. Rossano Maccioni, DVM, for referring the case.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. 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, Fabrizia Veronesi & Maria Teresa Mandara

  2. Department of Veterinary Clinic, Diagnostic and Pathology Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, 4 S. Costanzo Street, Postal Box 06126, Perugia, Italy

    Maria Beatrice Conti, Maria Chiara Marchesi & Arianna Miglio

  3. Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, 45 Aldo Moro Square, P.O. Box 64100, Teramo, Italy

    Donato Traversa

Authors
  1. Elvio Lepri
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  2. Fabrizia Veronesi
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  3. Donato Traversa
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  4. Maria Beatrice Conti
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  5. Maria Chiara Marchesi
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  6. Arianna Miglio
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  7. Maria Teresa Mandara
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elvio Lepri.

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Lepri, E., Veronesi, F., Traversa, D. et al. Disseminated angiostrongylosis with massive cardiac and cerebral involvement in a dog from Italy. Parasitol Res 109, 505–508 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-011-2293-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-011-2293-8

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