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1 September 2017 CRYPTOCOCCUS NEOFORMANS VAR. GRUBII–ASSOCIATED RENAL AMYLOIDOSIS CAUSING PROTEIN-LOSING NEPHROPATHY IN A RED KANGAROO (MACROPUS RUFUS)
Mary Irene Thurber, Jenessa Gjeltema, Matthew Sheley, Ray F. Wack
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Abstract

A 10-year-old male castrated red kangaroo (Macropus rufus) presented with mandibular swelling. Examination findings included pitting edema with no dental disease evident on examination or radiographs. The results of blood work were moderate azotemia, hypoalbuminemia, and severely elevated urine protein:creatinine ratio (9.9). Radiographs showed an interstitial pattern of the caudal right lung, and an abdominal ultrasound demonstrated scant effusion. Symptomatic and empirical therapy with antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor did not resolve clinical signs. Due to poor prognosis and declining quality of life, euthanasia was elected. Necropsy revealed chronic granulomatous pneumonia of the caudal right lung lobe with intralesional Cryptococcus, identified as C. neoformans var. grubii by DNA sequencing. Severe bilateral glomerular and tubulointerstitial amyloidosis induced protein-losing nephropathy, leading to tri-cavitary effusion, subcutaneous edema, and cachexia. The authors speculate that renal amyloidosis was associated with chronic cryptococcal pneumonia in this red kangaroo.

Copyright 2017 by American Association of Zoo Veterinarians
Mary Irene Thurber, Jenessa Gjeltema, Matthew Sheley, and Ray F. Wack "CRYPTOCOCCUS NEOFORMANS VAR. GRUBII–ASSOCIATED RENAL AMYLOIDOSIS CAUSING PROTEIN-LOSING NEPHROPATHY IN A RED KANGAROO (MACROPUS RUFUS)," Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 48(3), 929-932, (1 September 2017). https://doi.org/10.1638/2016-0271.1
Accepted: 1 May 2017; Published: 1 September 2017
KEYWORDS
Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii
macropod
Protein-losing nephropathy
Red kangaroo (Macropus rufus)
Renal amyloidosis
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