Patellar Blastomycosis in a Dog

Abstract

A 4-year-old, spayed female, mixed-breed dog was presented for evaluation of chronic left hind-limb lameness. Lytic lesions were observed in the left patella on radiographs of the stifle. A biopsy of the patella led to a histopathological diagnosis of blastomycosis. Surgical debridement followed by a 90-day course of itraconazole and physical rehabilitation resolved the clinical signs and stopped the progression of radiographic lesions. Blastomycosis should be considered as a differential diagnosis for stifle joint lameness with lytic lesions in the patella.

Granulomatous polyarthritis caused by Talaromyces georgiensis in a dog

“…Although canine fungal arthritis is rare, the reported fungal causes include Aspergillus spp., 4,7,20,21,23,30 Cryptococcus spp., 5,8,13,16 Blastomyces dermatitidis , 19,27 Candida guilliermondii , 6 Histoplasma capsulatum , 15 Paecilomyces sp., 10 and Sporothrix schenckii 11 (Table 2).…”

What Is Your Diagnosis?

“…The presumed pathogenesis of cryptococcal osteomyelitis is via hematogenous spread after pulmonary infection or, more rarely, via direct inoculation of the organism through the skin. 1,3 In the dog of the present report, no signs of systemic disease were evident; because the dog lived in the countryside, direct inoculation from an external wound was suspected. The radiologic appearance of cryptococcal osteomyelitis usually includes lytic lesions associated with soft tissue swelling, 2,4 as in this case.…”