Pathology of the urinary system

22

 

PARASITIC DISEASES OF THE KIDNEY  

(not for the exam)

 

 

1) 

Toxocara canis

 (dog) 

   ∙ 

the most common renal parasitic lesion in domestic animals; 

   ∙ 

migrating larvae induce the formation of small granulomas and are killed in the process. 

2) 

Dioctophyma renale

 (dogs, mink, cats, and other fish-eating mammals) 

   ∙ 

also called giant kidney worm; worldwide distribution; 

   ∙ 

largest parasitic nematode (up to 1 m long x 1 cm in diameter!); 

   ∙ 

invades one kidney (usually the right) and completely destroys its parenchyma; 

   ∙ 

in 60% of infected dogs, the parasites are in the peritoneal cavity only; on occasions, they rear up to 

startle surgeons engaged in exploratory laparotomy! 

3) 

Stephanurus dentatus

 (pigs) 

   ∙ 

widely distributed in tropical and subtropical countries; 

   ∙ 

encysts in perirenal fat and adjacent tissues, the cysts communicating with the renal pelvis. 

4) 

Capillaria plica

 (dogs) and 

Capillaria feliscati

 (cats) 

   ∙ 

nematode which can be found attached to the epithelium in the lumen of the renal pelvis, ureter or 

urinary bladder; 

5) 

Halicephalobus deletrix

 (horses) 

   ∙ 

saprophagous nematode normally residing in soil; 

   ∙ 

aberrant migration causes granulomatous nephritis; can also cause cerebral vasculitis.  

6) 

Klossiella equi

 (horses) 

   ∙ 

sporozoan protozoon of kidney; causes mild incidental lesions. 

7) 

Encephalitozoon cuniculi

 (primarily rabbits, occasionally other species) 

   ∙ 

microsporidian protozoon; 

   ∙ 

causes granulomatous nephritis; can also cause granulomatous encephalitis.