Pulmonary adiaspiromycosis in a crested porcupine (hystrix cristata) in Italy

Introduction: Adiaspiromycosis is primarily a pulmonary disease (i.e. characterized by necrogranulomatous pneumonia) of small mammals, reported in several wild species, but never in the crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata). It is rarely described in man and particularly affects immunodeficient patients. It is caused by a dimorphic fungus belonging to the genus Emmonsia. E. crescens is the main species involved in European cases of adiaspiromycosis. Materials and Methods: A crested porcupine (young male of 3.5 kg body weight) was found dead during a heavy snowfall in the winter of 2010e2011 in the province of Bologna. It was subjected to necropsy examination and samples of lung tissue were fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin and processed routinely. Sections were stained by haematoxylin and eosin and Grocott’s stain. Results: Multiple fractures of the pelvis and posterior legs with diffuse oedema and haemorrhage were recorded. In the thorax, multifocal mild chronic adhesive pleuritis and disseminated, severe, granulomatous pneumonia were present. Microscopically, severe diffuse chronic interstitial pneumonia was observed with multifocal necrogranulomatous lesions surrounding cystic structures. These structures (100e300 mm diameter), generally empty or rarely filled with basophilic unstructured clod-like material, had an eosinophilic amorphous wall surrounded by a typically granulomatous infiltrate and a fibrous capsule. The walls of the cystic structures appeared black with Grocott’s stain. Conclusions: The described characteristics were consistent with pulmonary adiaspiromycosis.