Veterinarians of the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at Tufts University surgically removed the granuloma in the right cerebral hemisphere. The patient was treated with fluconazole for 4 months, and was followed with voriconazole for 10 months. Both are medications used to treat fungal infections. Based on magnetic resonance imaging and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis 8 months after the surgery, the male Boxer’s outcome was considered excellent. Emphasis has been placed on how to manage this disease through careful management practices including: proper handling, preventing crowding situation with animals, and transportation. Both the animals and the environment should be treated thoroughly to hinder the spread and control the fungal infection. This is especially important since humans can also contract this disease. Research projects and implications
Phaeohyphomycosis is a disease caused by this fungus. If given the opportunity, this disease can spread to the brain and cause a painful death. There have been multiple reports of this host of fungi, but by the time the disease is recognized, it is usually too late for the animal to be successfully treated. Recent searches of databases show that there are no current projects studying the spread of this fungus in wild animals, though there are documented cases of its occurrence. In 2005, a five-month-old snow leopard (Uncia uncia) in Europe was diagnosed with phaeohyphomycosis due to Cladophalophora bantiana. This fungus caused spastic paralysis as well as the inability to defecate or urinate.
They experienced severe torticollis, which are severe muscle spasms that compromise the bird’s ability to hold up its head. The birds exhibited a loss of balance due to the rigidity of their legs. Cats showed signs of difficulty breathing due to excessive swelling of the nose. There were also lesions found throughout the body, including the brain. Common lesions include ulcerated cutaneous nodules of the digits, pinnae, nasal planum, and nasal/paranasal tissues.In extreme cases dogs exhibited vision impairment and had deep infections in the nasal cavity, kidneys, and the cerebellum. In dogs, brain infections were found similar to infections that were found in humans. Other clinical signs were lesions, abscesses, and severe inflammation throughout the dog’s body. Ruminants and equines were affected the same way from Phaeohyphomycosis. They showed respiratory distress through constant coughing and a fever. They demonstrated signs of anorexia, lethargy, and hypothermia. There was inflammation, hair loss, scaling, and damage to their cerebellum. Humans
Human’s clinical signs consisted of swelling and eye infections. There were nodules underneath the skin, abscesses or cysts, and lesions running throughout the body. There were papules, plaques and granulomatous damages on the body. In extreme cases there were deep infections within the eyes, bones, heart and central nervous system. Treatment
Extensive treatments have been used on domestic animals more than on wild animals, probably because infected domestic animals are easier to identify and treat than infected wildlife. Treatment plans and management vary across taxa because this disease tends to affect each species differently.