• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제51권5호
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• pp.569-572
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• 2013

Dirofilariasis is a rare disease in humans. We report here a case of a 48-year-old male who was diagnosed with pulmonary dirofilariasis in Korea. On chest radiographs, a coin lesion of 1 cm in diameter was shown. Although it looked like a benign inflammatory nodule, malignancy could not be excluded. So, the nodule was resected by video-assisted thoracic surgery. Pathologically, chronic granulomatous inflammation composed of coagulation necrosis with rim of fibrous tissues and granulations was seen. In the center of the necrotic nodules, a degenerating parasitic organism was found. The parasite had prominent internal cuticular ridges and thick cuticle, a well-developed muscle layer, an intestinal tube, and uterine tubules. The parasite was diagnosed as an immature female worm of Dirofilaria immitis. This is the second reported case of human pulmonary dirofilariasis in Korea.

• 한국임상수의학회지
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.235-238
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• 1999

Two Jindo dogs which show clinical signs of anorexia, weakness and exercise intolerance, were referred, and diagnosed as dirofilariasis by hematology, blood chemistry and ultrasonography. In hematology and blood chemistry, the presence of microfilariae in the blood, anemia, leukocytosis, hemoglobinuria and jaundice were revealed. In ultrasonography, heartworms were found in the right ventricle artery and pulmonary artery as structures of hyperechoic dots or streaks. In autopsy, forty odd and fifty odd of heartworms at dog 1 and dog 2, were ascertained respectively in the right ventricle and pulmonary artery.

• 한국임상수의학회지
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• 제34권1호
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• pp.1-6
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• 2017

Heartworm disease (HWD) in dogs is a life-threatening mosquito-borne disease resulting in right-sided congestive heart failure and inflammatory pulmonary disease. Due to complications from adulticidal therapy with melarsomine, slow kill protocol either with preventive dose of ivermectin or combined with doxycycline has been proposed for an alternative adultcidal therapy in dogs with HWD. Therefore, this study evaluated the clinical outcome of adultcidal therapy in dogs with class II stage of HWD after treating either American Heartworm Society (AHS) or slow kill protocol for 10 months. Clinical outcome after therapy was evaluated by clinical, radiographic and echocardiographic examination along with hematology before (D0) and after therapy (D300). Although clinical signs associated with HWD were all resolved after therapy in both groups, the infection was not cleared out 67% of dogs treated by slow kill protocol at the end of therapy. Furthermore, pulmonary arterial flow of acceleration time to ejection time ratio (AT/ET) and the right pulmonary artery distensibility index (RPADI) have been firstly used for detecting pulmonary hypertension in this study group. The pulmonary hypertension was more common in dogs with mild clinical signs, although tricuspid and pulmonary regurgitation were not detectable in most dogs in this study. Our study findings suggested that the slow kill protocol might not be efficacious enough to clear out HWD in dogs and more attention on the presence of pulmonary hypertension might be necessary for effective management of HWD in dogs.

• 한국임상수의학회지
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• 제29권4호
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• pp.334-338
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• 2012

3세 수컷 풍산견이 2주동안 지속된 좌측후지 파행과 식욕저하로 내원하였다. 환자의 외상 병력은 없었으며, 백신과 심장사상충 예방은 하지 않았다. 전혈구검사에서 중증의 백혈구 증가증과 호중구 핵좌방이동이 확인되었고, 혈액화학검사에서 저알부민혈증, 질소혈증, 간담도계 효소수치의 상승을 확인되었으며, 심장사상충 항원 키트에서 양성으로 확인되었다. 흉부 방사선 검사에서는 주폐동맥의 확장, 우심비대, 폐의 간질패턴이 관찰되었으며, 심장사상충 감염소견과 일치하였다. 이후 실시된 심초음파 검사에서 페동맥판역류와 폐성 고혈압이 확인되었다. 선택적 대퇴동맥 혈관 조영술에서 양측성 대퇴동맥의 폐쇄가 확인되었고, 환자는 혈관조영술후 폐사하였고 부검이 실시되었다. 부검결과 심장사상충 성충과 혈전이 좌우측 대퇴동맥 내강을 폐쇄시키고 있는 것이 확인되었다. 본 증례보고는 심장사상충이 대퇴동맥으로 비정상적 이주를 하여 후지의 파행을 유발한 케이스이며, 이를 보고하고자 한다.

• 한국임상수의학회지
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• 제27권5호
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• pp.600-604
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• 2010

10년령의 암컷 잡종견이 식욕부진, 쇠약, 혈색소뇨를 주증으로 충북대학교 동물의료센터에 내원하였다. 환자는 내원 하루 전 지역동물병원에서 효소 면역 측정법에 의해 심장사상충증을 진단 받았으며 성충구제제를 투여 받았다. 혈액검사를 통해 저색소성 소적혈구성 재생성 빈혈과 혈소판감소증, 중등도의 호중구증가증, ALT AST ALP의 상승이 확인되었다. 방사선 촬영을 통해 주페동맥의 확장, 폐침윤, 복부 선예도 감소, 경증의 간비대가 확인되었다. 복부 초음파 검사에서 경증의 복수, 간문 수준의 문정맥과 비장정맥에서 고에코성의 혈전이 확인되었다. 조영 증강 컴퓨터 단층촬영을 통해 문정맥 내강내 저밀도 영역과 혈관내 충진결손을 확인하였다. 환자는 항응고제와 혈전용해제로 치료를 받았으며, 42일 동안의 치료 후 혈전의 완전한 용해를 복부 초음파 검사를 통해 확인하였으며 임상 증상의 개선이 관찰되었다.

• 한국임상수의학회지
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• 제28권6호
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• pp.595-597
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• 2011

5년령의 수컷 비글견이 복통을 주증으로 내원하였다. 환자는 ELISA를 통한 심장사상충 항원 검사 및 자충검사에 양성결과를 보여, 심장사상충 감염증이 확인되었다. 흉부 방사선 검사에서 심비대 및 폐동맥 확장증 소견이 관찰 되었으며, 심초음파를 통하여 주 폐동맥 내의 심장사상충이 확인 되었다. 심초음파상 사상충 감염 이외의 다른 이상은 발견되지 않았다. 복통에 대한 정확한 원인 규명을 위하여 탐색적 복강경 시술이 시행되었으며, 환축에서 복강으로 이소기생한 심장사상충이 관찰되었다. 복강내 심장사상충의 제거 이후 환축의 임상증상은 사라졌다. 본 증례는 탐색적 복강경을 통하여 복강내 이소기생한 심장사상충을 제거한 증례 보고이다.

• 한국임상수의학회지
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• 제39권4호
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• pp.177-184
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• 2022

Caval syndrome is a severe complication of canine heartworm disease in which affected dogs present with various clinical signs that are often life-threatening. In cases of severe infection, adulticidal treatment has numerous complications as a result of a marked immune response against dead worms. Therefore, several surgical and non-surgical methods, including interventional extraction, have been applied in veterinary medicine. Despite the usefulness and efficiency of conventional retrieval devices, a few associated limitations must be addressed to reduce their risks and increase their applicability. Herein, we introduced a case of treating three dogs with caval syndrome by applying a newly developed heartworm basket device. The dogs were diagnosed with heartworm disease by heartworm antigen testing and direct smear. Imaging findings revealed remarkable remodeling of the right heart and pulmonary vessels and the presence of heartworms in the right heart. Additionally, heartworms were confirmed in the distal part of the abdominal aorta and femoral arteries in one dog, indicating aberrant systemic migration of the worms. Under general anesthesia, the heartworm basket device was introduced into the right heart via femoral venotomy and arteriotomy in one dog and jugular venotomy in the other two dogs. Although the number of cases in this study was small, the basket device was successful in gradual and cautious extraction of the heartworms in all three dogs. They exhibited good prognosis of clinical symptoms as indicated by imaging analyses.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• 제24권4호
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• pp.46.1-46.12
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• 2023

Background: Heartworm infection in dogs is caused by Dirofilaria immitis and common in shelter animals and outdoors dogs. Caval syndrome can develop with severe infection and physical heartworm removal is essential with heartworm burdens. In this study, we used an improved transvenous heartworm extraction brush, which was expected to cause less cardiovascular damage and allow easier manipulation. Objectives: This study aims to evaluate efficacy of this improved transvenous heartworm extraction brush. Methods: The brush was designed to improve upon the limitations of the previous brush-type devices. The brush was made of a polyvinyl chloride tube and threads of polyamides or polyglyconates. Metal material was inserted at the front tip for easy visualization under fluoroscopy. The eight dogs diagnosed with caval syndrome with large numbers of heartworms and pulmonary hypertension were used in this study. The removal procedure began with the dissection of the subcutaneous tissue around the right jugular vein. The device was inserted through the jugular vein. After insertion, the tube was rotated to catch the heartworms and extracted with the heartworms hanging on the threads. The procedure was repeated several times. Lastly, jugular vein and skin sutures were made. Adulticidal therapy was administered after heartworm removal. Results: The mean number of removed heartworms was 10.5 ± 4.24 and mean number of remaining heartworms was 0.63 ± 1.06. Total procedure time was 72.63 ± 51.36. Except for three cases, heartworms were not detected on ultrasonography after the procedure. No procedure-related side effects were observed within the 1- to 2-mon. Conclusions: An improved transvenous heartworm extraction brush is efficient for heartworm removal in dogs with caval syndrome.