Granulomatous dermatitis due to Corynebacterium mucifaciens in a heifer

作者：Rifici C; Sfacteria A; Lanteri G^*; Reale S; La Spisa M; Mazzullo G

来源：Large Animal Review, 2016, 22(2): 85-88.

• Corynebacterium mucifaciens
• heifer
• bovine
• PCR
• dermatitis

Introduction - The skin is a major constituent of the immune system in all mammals and nondiphtheria corynebacteria may be contaminant of normal skin flora and agents of disease both in humans and animals. In bovines, nondiphtheria corynebacteria are involved in clinical or subclinical mastitis cases, pyogranulomatous reactions, abscess formation, ulcerative lymphangitis, mastitic and visceral forms and ulcerative-granulomatous dermatitis.
Aim - In this paper, the authors describe the morpho-pathological and etiopathogenetic aspects of a unique case of granulomatous dermatitis, occasionally found in a heifer, due to an infectious agent so far never reported in veterinary medicine.
Material and methods - A 2 y.o. Italian Friesian heifer, belonging to an intensive farming, showed a papillomatous-like exophytic lesion at the edge of the right auricular pinna. The lesion appeared firm, irregularly globular in shape, 9x11.5 cm in size, with depigmented and ulcerated skin remnants. The lesion was cytologically examined, surgically removed and histologically studied. In addition, the molecular biology examination was performed by means of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).
Results - Cytological and histological examinations allowed the diagnosis of a pyogranulomatous inflammation. Histochemical stains highlighted numerous coccoid formations within the piogranulomatous reaction or freely standing in the tissue associated with a Splendore-Hoeppli phenomenon. PCR confirmed them belonging to the species Corynebacterium mucifaciens.
Discussion - Corynebacterium mucifaciens has been described, to date, only in humans, where it has been related to severe infections, lethal bacteremia, otitis and nasal polips, cavitary pneumonia, corneal ulcer. Corynebacterium mucifaciens is a recently described species belonging to the group nondiphtheria Corynebacterium, has been recognized as important human opportunistic pathogen in immunocompromised or severely-ill patients and it has been isolated from human blood or other normally-sterile body fluids and from wound swab.
Conclusions - The presented case describes an extremely unusual site-lesion for the bovine species and this is the first report in veterinary medicine of a case of Corynebacterium mucifaciens infection in animals, strongly suspected to have a role as zoonotic agent.

• 出版日期2016-4