|
Cryptococcosis
in dogs and cats |
Clinical disease in dogs:
This is an uncommon infection in dogs. When it occurs, it most
commonly presents as CNS disease (esp. vestibular disease), with
skin lesions in about 1/4 of the cases.
Clinical disease in cats:
CRYPTOCOCCOSIS IS THE MOST COMMON OF THE SYSTEMIC MYCOSES
IN CATS.
- It generally presents as infection of the nasal cavity or
sinuses, leading to sneezing, nasal discharge, upper airway dyspnea
and facial swelling.
- The nasal discharge may be bloody to purulent.
- Proliferative to ulcerative skin lesions are common, especially
on the nose.
- CNS infection occurs in about 1/4 of the cases.
- This may be a meningoencephalitis or focal fungal granulomas,
with variable clinical signs.
- Infection in other systemic sites and referable clinical
signs are rare.
- Fever is uncommon.
Diagnosis in cats:
- radiography of the nasal cavity/sinuses
- Radiographs will often reveal a soft tissue mass, generally without
osseous involvement.
- Lesions may be uni- or bilateral.
- identification of the encapsulated
organism in impression smears, CSF or exudates (India ink
preps or Wright stains highlight the organism within the "halo"
of the capsule.)
- fungal culture
- cryptococcal Ag test on serum, urine or CSF
- Ag titers may parallel disease severity and response to therapy.
