Study maps thoracic CT patterns in canine blastomycosis

A new retrospective case series in Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound adds CT-based detail to how canine blastomycosis presents in the chest. Reviewing thoracic CT studies from 23 dogs with confirmed or presumed pulmonary blastomycosis, the authors found that the most common features were multilobar pulmonary nodules, areas of consolidation with ground-glass attenuation, and tracheobronchial lymphadenomegaly. The paper comes from a single center and focuses on imaging appearance rather than treatment outcomes, but it gives radiologists and clinicians a more defined picture of what this endemic fungal disease can look like on advanced imaging. (eurekamag.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the study helps sharpen differential lists when thoracic CT shows diffuse or multifocal pulmonary disease, especially in dogs from endemic regions or with compatible systemic signs. Blastomycosis commonly starts in the lungs after inhalation and can disseminate to skin, eyes, lymph nodes, bone, or the CNS, while standard references note that thoracic imaging may show nodules, consolidation, and regional lymph node enlargement. CT still isn't pathognomonic for blastomycosis, but more specific pattern recognition may help clinicians move faster toward cytology, antigen testing, and antifungal treatment planning. (merckvetmanual.com)

What to watch: The next step will be whether larger, multicenter studies can show how reliably these CT patterns distinguish blastomycosis from neoplasia, other fungal disease, or severe inflammatory lung disease. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)