Granulomatous disease associated with Bartonella infection in 2 dogs

Shortly after removal of an engorged tick from the left ear, a 4-year-old Greyhound was referred for evaluation of fever and a rapidly enlarging mass in the region of the left submandibular lymph node. Histopathologic evaluation of the lymph node resulted in a diagnosis of severe granulomatous lymphadenitis. An 11-year-old mixed-breed dog was referred for evaluation of a 6-week history of serous nasal discharge. Histologic examination of a surgical biopsy from a nasal mass indicated multifocal granulomatous inflammation with fibrosis. Serum samples obtained from both dogs were reactive by immunofluorescent assay to Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii antigens (reciprocal titers of 128). Although Bartonella organisms were not isolated by lysis centrifugation blood culture, Bartonella DNA was amplified from tissue samples obtained from each dog (lymph node biopsy from dog 1 and nasal biopsy from dog 2) using primers that amplify a portion of the 16S rRNA gene followed by Southern blot hybridization using a genus-specific probe. Additionally, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of a Bartonella-specific citrate synthase gene product obtained from dog 2 resulted in a restriction pattern identical to B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii. This is the 1st report of granulomatous disease in dogs associated with Bartonella infection.