TY - JOUR
T1 - The presence of diatom algae in a tracheal wash from a German Wirehaired Pointer with aspiration pneumonia
AU - Benson, Catherine J.
AU - Edlund, Mark B.
AU - Gray, Sarah
AU - Powell, Lisa
AU - Paulin-Curlee, Geisa
AU - Armien, Anibal
AU - Overmann, Jed A.
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2013 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2013/6
Y1 - 2013/6
N2 - A 7-year-old spayed female German Wirehaired Pointer was presented with difficulty breathing after being found seizing in a water-filled drainage ditch while out hunting. Aspirates from a tracheal wash contained numerous degenerate neutrophils, fewer macrophages, some of which contained basophilic debris, low numbers of extracellular diatoms, and a single intracellular short bacterial rod. As the dog continued to clinically decline and could not be weaned from oxygen support, the owners chose euthanasia. The major necropsy finding was a severe granulomatous bronchopneumonia that was likely due to aspiration of foreign material based on the microscopic presence of plant-like material, bi-refringent crystalline material, non-cellular debris, and occasional fungal structures. Diatoms are a class of algae that live primarily in water. Diatom analysis has been used, with some controversy, in human forensics to assist in documenting drowning as the cause of death. In this case, given the clinical history, the presence of diatoms and inflammation in the tracheal wash were interpreted as a likely result of the aspiration of surface water. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of diatoms observed in a cytologic specimen in a nonhuman mammal with aspiration pneumonia.
AB - A 7-year-old spayed female German Wirehaired Pointer was presented with difficulty breathing after being found seizing in a water-filled drainage ditch while out hunting. Aspirates from a tracheal wash contained numerous degenerate neutrophils, fewer macrophages, some of which contained basophilic debris, low numbers of extracellular diatoms, and a single intracellular short bacterial rod. As the dog continued to clinically decline and could not be weaned from oxygen support, the owners chose euthanasia. The major necropsy finding was a severe granulomatous bronchopneumonia that was likely due to aspiration of foreign material based on the microscopic presence of plant-like material, bi-refringent crystalline material, non-cellular debris, and occasional fungal structures. Diatoms are a class of algae that live primarily in water. Diatom analysis has been used, with some controversy, in human forensics to assist in documenting drowning as the cause of death. In this case, given the clinical history, the presence of diatoms and inflammation in the tracheal wash were interpreted as a likely result of the aspiration of surface water. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of diatoms observed in a cytologic specimen in a nonhuman mammal with aspiration pneumonia.
KW - Dog
KW - Drowning
KW - Frustules
KW - Tracheal wash
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U2 - 10.1111/vcp.12037
DO - 10.1111/vcp.12037
M3 - Article
C2 - 23647227
AN - SCOPUS:84878712671
SN - 0275-6382
VL - 42
SP - 221
EP - 226
JO - Veterinary Clinical Pathology
JF - Veterinary Clinical Pathology
IS - 2
ER -