An Unusual Case of Megacolon Due to
Sarcocystis spp. Infection
and Local Amyloidosis in a Husky Dog
Carmen Solcan1, Dumitru Acatrinei1,
Viorel Floristean1, Gheorghe Solcan1,*, Bogdan
Gabriel Şlencu2 and Mircea Fântânariu1
1Ion
Ionescu de la Brad, University of Agricultural Sciences and
Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, M. Sadoveanu
Alley 8, 700489 Iasi, Romania; 2Grigore T. Popa, University of
Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universităţii Street 16,
700115 Iasi, Romania *Corresponding author:
gsolcan@uaiasi.ro
Abstract
A four-year old Husky dog suffering of chronic
diarrhea was radiologically diagnosed with megacolon and consequently, partial
resection of the colon wall was performed. Histological examination of the
colonic wall revealed the presence of
Sarcocystisspp. oocysts. Chronic
inflammation of colonic mucosa resulted in local amyloidosis, overexpression of
Bcl-2 in the goblet cells, which suggested decreased apoptosis and increased
mucous cells population in Lieberkühn’s glands. The expression of immunoglobulin
A (IgA) was reduced intraepithelially and increased in blood capillaries,
periglandulary and in the submucosal stroma consequently to parasitic infection.The colonic mucosa showed plasma cells, eosinophilic, mast cells
and lymphocytic infiltrations. The
Sarcocystis chronic parasitism may cause colon chronic dilatation due to
persistent inflammation of the mucosa, characterized by infiltration of
lymphocytes and plasma cells followed by the synthesis of amyloid. The amyloid
stored around the Lieberkühn’s glands or in the submucosal stroma can cause
autonomic dysfunction in Auerbach's and Meissner's plexuses and autonomic
ganglia.