A 26-month-old male mixed-breed dog of Korean origin was subjected to necropsy following death after a history of decreased appetite and weight loss. Necropsy revealed generalized lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly. Histopathological examination of samples from the spleen, mandibular lymph nodes, liver, kidney, and large intestine showed granulomas with numerous macrophages containing intracytoplasmic Leishmania amastigotes. Transmission electron microscopy revealed Leishmania amastigotes in the macrophage cytoplasm. All tissues with granulomas were positive for Leishmania spp, which was confirmed to be Leishmania infantum by conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR), real-time PCR, and in situ hybridization. To our knowledge, this is the second case of canine visceral leishmaniasis in Korea.

A tissue sample of a laryngopharyngeal mass from a 9-year-old male Dachshund dog was submitted to the Animal, Plant and Fisheries Quarantine and Inspection Agency for histopathologic evaluation. The mass measured was 3.1×3.0× 5.0 ㎝ in diameter and was first detected by computed tomography. Histopathologically, the nodules consisted of large round and polygonal cells with abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm. The mitotic index was 1～3 per view under a high power field (400×). Immunohistochemically, tumor cells were positive for vimentin and desmin, but negative for cytokeratin, S-100, and α-Smooth Muscle Actin (α-SMA). Based on these findings, the tumor was confirmed as Laryngopharyngeal Rhabdomyosarcoma. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report in Korea.

Bovine brucellosis causes abortion and infertility. The authors conducted this study in order to determine pathological lesions of Korean native cows and fetuses who received experimental vaccination with Brucella abortus RB51 and were challenged with Brucella abortus 2308. Gross and histopathological lesions in endometrium and placenta were observed in cows of the vaccinated group. Twenty-five percent of pregnant cattle in the vaccinated group showed endometritis and placentitis, which was three times lower, compared with the non-vaccinated group. The pathological lesions in the uterus and placenta in both groups were consistent with previous reports. Therefore, vaccination in heifers using Brucella abortus RB51 may not provide adequate protection against infection with Brucella abortus virulent strain.

Grossly, a lot of soft white nodules, 0.5～1.5 cm in diameter, were randomly scattered in liver of a slaughtered Korean Native Cattle. The surface of liver was roughened by those nodules. Histopathologically the nodules were consisted of numerous mature blood vessels, which had variable size and wall thickness, and which were encircled by much connective tissue. Masson's trichrome stain clearly revealed the proliferated blood vessels and perivascular stroma and, immunohistochemical staining revealed that endothelial cells of proliferated blood vessels were positive for Von Willebrand Factor. Based on gross and histopathological lesions, and immunohistochemical staining, the case was confirmed as hepatic vascular hamartoma and it is the first case report in Korea, as far as we know.

Toxocara (T.) canis, round worm of dogs and cats, is probably the most common gastrointestinal helminthes of domestic canid and is ascarid nematodes in the order Ascaridida, family Toxocaridae. The prevalence of patent toxocariasis is highest in the young dogs and much less common in adult dogs. There are few reports on the status of T. canis prevalence of dogs in Korea. Few cases of human visceral larva migrans also reported in Korea. However, as far as we know, there is no report on the canine toxocariasis case determined by pathological findings in Korea until now. In this research, we diagnosed canine toxocariasis by fecal egg test and pathologic findings in 2-month old two Pointer dogs. Typical T. canis eggs were detected in the fecal test. Numerous adult ascarids in the lumen of small intestine and stomach in one dog and multifocal white necrotic lesions in lung, liver, and kidney in another dog were observed grossly. Histologically, multifocal necrosis, eosinophilic inflammation and intralesional ascarid larva were prominent findings in the lung, liver and kidney.