Todayโs path rounds are on the ๐ ๐ข๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ค๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ, otherwise known as ๐๐ข๐จ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ๐ก๐ฒ๐ฆ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐!
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
๐๐ข๐จ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ๐ก๐ฒ๐ฆ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ is the largest parasitic ๐ง๐๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐จ๐๐ (roundworm) in our veterinary species. The female worms can measure up to 100cm long! As their name might suggest, they like to sit in and around the kidneys.
๐๐ก๐จ ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
We most commonly see this disease in dogs and mink, but it can also be seen in other species.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
Dioctophyma has a life cycle involving two aquatic ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ which carry the larval stages of the worm. The wormโs eggs are shed in an infected animals urine, where they are picked up by โ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ฌโ, which are basically like earthworms but live in the water. Here, they develop into their first larval stages. The infected mud worm is then eaten by a fish or frog, which allows the larvae to develop further. The infected fish or frog is then eaten by a mammal, like a dog or cat, and the larvae penetrate the intestinal wall and migrate towards the kidney. There they develop into the massive adults we can see at necropsy!
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ?
These giant worms take up a lot of space! In order to make space for themselves, they cause progressive destruction of the kidney ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ก๐ฒ๐ฆ๐ (the tissue of the organ), until essentially all that remains is the ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ (covering of the kidney) with the worm inside. So as you might expect, these worms can cause all of the classic signs of kidney failure, as they are destroying one, or both, of the animalโs kidneys.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฌ๐๐?
This disease is most easily diagnosed in the live patient by analyzing the ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ, or what is left over after the water component of the urine is removed. Here, the veterinarian can see the eggs of Dioctophyma, which allows them to make the diagnosis.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐? ๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐?
The best treatment for this disease is complete removal of the affected kidney, particularly if only one kidney is affected. For prevention, keeping your pets from eating raw fish or other aquatic creatures is recommended!
๐๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐จ๐ฌ
1-2) Two lovely examples of the adult female Dioctophyma after they were removed from an animal.
3) An example of the eggs of Dioctophyma on a urine sediment.
4-5) Two examples of dogs with Dioctophyma infections! Poor kidneys 
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ
Maxie, G. Jubb, Kennedy and Palmerโs Pathology of Domestic Animals, Volume 2. Sixth Edition.
Brown, SA. Giant Kidney Worm Infection in Mink and Dogs. Merck Veterinary Manual 2015.
Photo 1 ยฉ Wikimedia Commons contributors Mandsager licensed under CC BY 3.0.
Photos 2-5 ยฉ Noahโs Arkive contributors Sacco-Canal, Prestwood, Barros, Barsanti licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
