Diagnosis of Dioctophyma renale in a dog in the Santos basin by abdominal ultrasonography

Abstract

Dioctophyma renale is a helminth that preferably inhabits the definitive host's right kidney, but is also described in peri-renal tissues, ureters, bladder, ure-thra, scrotum, inguinal subcutaneous tissue, uterus, ovaries, mesenteric lymph nodes, mammary gland, thoracic cavity, pericardium, abdominal cavity, stomach and liver. By presenting progressive destructive behavior, it can lead to total loss of the affected organ. The symptoms are often unspecific, varying according to the af-fected region, and may often be non-existent. Its incidence is related to access to aquatic environments and feeding habits of the animal, such as fish or raw frog in-gestion. The objective of this study was to report a case of Dioctophyma renale in a dog inhabited in the city of Santos, a non-endemic area of the parasite, in order to alert the population, including veterinarians, of the possibility of research and risks of this disease. The reported patient is a female dog, with no defined breed of ap-proximately 3 years old, which began to present prostration and progressive hematu-ria observed in clinical consultation. Hemogram and abdominal ultrasonography ex-ams were requested; however the latter one was the exam that identified the nema-toid inside the right kidney. The nephrectomy was performed the day after the diag-nosis and the patient is currently well.