Histopathology inflammation scoring and classification in 34 dogs with inflammatory nasal disease

The aims of this study are to suggest a histological classification and a scoring system (0-12) for dogs with inflammatory nasal disease, and to compare and determine statistical associations between histopathology findings and lymphoplasmacytic rhinitis (LPR) or aspergillosis. Twenty-one LPR cases and 13 aspergillosis cases were reviewed and classified at the Queen's Veterinary School Hospital of the University of Cambridge. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS V.17 and the level of significance accepted was P<0.05. The suggested classification includes the name of the two most common inflammatory cells found, duration of disease, lesion distribution, severity of epithelial and goblet cell hyperplasia and presence of oedema and fungi. The inflammation score was calculated according to the number of inflammatory cells present, and revealed that half the cases had moderate nasal inflammation and that most of the cases (67.6 per cent) were lymphocytic rhinitis. As far as the statistical associations were concerned, only fungal presence was proven to be associated with aspergillosis (P=0.04). The two conditions were found to have similar histological appearance. Implying that the histological diagnosis can sometimes be difficult and that the clinician should always consider the results from other diagnostic tests to reach a final diagnosis.