Pathological and Microbiological Diagnosis of Cutaneous Blastomycosis in a Four Months Old Dog in Zambia

Abstract

Background: Blastomycosis is usually a systemic fungal disease, most commonly diagnosed in dogs and humans. Cutaneous involvement primarily results from hematogenous spread, but in rare cases, direct inoculation can occur. Case presentation: The current report describes a case of a four-month-old male dog presented with cutaneous lesions caused by Blastomyces dermatitidis without the pulmonary or disseminated disease. Diagnosis was achieved through histopathology and culture. Surgical debulking associated with systemic therapy with oral itraconazole resulted in significant remission of the lesion. Conclusions: To the authors' knowledge, this is the first case of cutaneous blastomycosis reported in an animal in Zambia, which was successfully treated using oral itraconazole. Accurate diagnosis and treatment of the disease in dogs is of public health importance as canine blastomycosis can be a presage of the disease in humans.