Hormographiella aspergillata keratomycosis in a dog |
| |
| Authors: | Antonella Rampazzo Peter Kuhnert† Judith Howard‡ Valérie Bornand§ |
| |
| Institution: | Ophthalmology Service, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland;;Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland;;Clinical Laboratory, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland;;Institute of Animal Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland |
| |
| Abstract: | A 4-year-old, female, Border Collie was presented to the University of Bern Veterinary Teaching Hospital, because of a corneal lesion of 10 days duration. The axial cornea presented a whitish fluorescein-positive plaque with irregular margins. A diagnosis of keratomycosis was made based on cytology. Medical therapy with local broad-spectrum antibiotic and fluconazole was instituted. After 1 week of treatment, the improvement was deemed unsatisfactory. Therefore, a lamellar keratectomy and conjunctival pedicle flap were performed. After surgery, the cornea healed uneventfully. Histology confirmed the diagnosis of keratomycosis. The fungus could not be grown in culture and a precise etiological diagnosis could only be obtained with genetic identification of the fungus. A PCR technique was used to amplify the fungal genome from the cornea. Hormographiella aspergillata , the asexual reproductive form of the basidiomycete Coprinopsis cinerea , was identified. As advised in human medicine, we encourage the use of this molecular technique to obtain an early species diagnosis, allowing targeted medical therapy. |
| |
| Keywords: | canine keratomycosis Coprinopsis cinerea dog Hormographiella aspergillata mycotic keratitis PCR fungal identification |
|
|
