Professional Documents
Culture Documents
, J. Gallardo
*
, P. Lupiola
*
and H. E. Jensen
*Veterinary Faculty, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), Trasmontana s/n, 35416 Arucas,
Serviexotic,
Vega de San Mateo, Las Palmas, Spain and
Department of Pharmacology and Pathobiology, The Royal Veterinary and
Agricultural University, 13 Bulowsvej, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Copenhagen, Denmark
Summary
Reports of dermatophytosis in reptiles are rare. This report describes the microscopical and immunohistochem-
ical ndings in a case of dermatophytosis caused by Trichophyton spp. in a 2-year-old Tenerife lizard (Gallotia
galloti) with ulcerative and pustular skin lesions. Microscopically, the lesions were characterized by supercial
epidermal pustules containing heterophils with numerous fungal hyphae that stained by periodic acideSchiff
and Grocotts stain. Fungal culture was not performed, but a panel of polyclonal antibodies specic for different
fungal genera was applied to tissue sections. These immunohistochemical studies demonstrated reactivity of the
hyphae only with antiserum specic for Trichophyton spp.
2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: dermatophytosis; immunohistochemistry; Tenerife lizard; Trichophyton spp.
The term dermatophytosis describes infection by kera-
tinophilic fungi of the genera Microsporum, Trichophyton
and Epidermophyton (Pare and Jacobson, 2007). Derma-
tophytes are rarely isolated from reptiles (Hazell et al.,
1985; Miller et al., 2004) and it has been suggested
that there is insufcient evidence to support the occur-
rence of dermatophytosis in these animals (Pare and
Jacobson, 2007).
Fungal infections in reptiles are often diagnosed by
culture or histopathology, but inthe absence of culture,
immunohistochemistry (IHC) provides an alternative
diagnostic approach. Reports of immunohistochemical
diagnosis of mycotic infections in reptiles are scarce
(Oros et al., 2004a, b; 2011). The present report de-
scribes a case of dermatophytosis causedby Trichophyton
spp. in a Tenerife lizard (Gallotia galloti).
A captive 2-year-old, 205 g, female Tenerife lizard,
developed several irregular pustular and ulcerative
cutaneous lesions (0.1 cm diameter) in the interscap-
ular region. The lizard had been taken from the wild
fromVi~ na de las Arenas (Tenerife) when it was young
because it had lost its right hindlimb after a cat attack.
The lizard had been kept alone in a 60 50 50 cm
terrarium with articial grass as substrate and cork
bark sheets as hiding places. The diet consisted of
crickets coated with a vitamin/mineral powder and
some vegetables and grapes. Using a commercial
heat mat and sunlight for a basking site the ambient
temperature in the terrarium was maintained at
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