Pathological and histological findings associated with the feline lungworm Troglostrongylus brevior

Troglostrongylus brevior is a neglected feline lungworm species, which has been increasingly reported in the Mediterranean area, although scant data are available on the respiratory alterations it causes in cats. Therefore, we describe the gross and histological lesions of a 20-week old kitten that succumbed due to the onset of a fulminant respiratory failure. At necropsy, a catarrhal exudate was observed in the airways, along with nematodes in the trachea and bronchi. The lungs were processed for histological examination and serial pulmonary sections were performed. A total of 14 nematodes were collected, being all morphologically and molecularly identified as T. brevior. Lungworms were histologically localized within the bronchial lumen, surrounded by an eosinophilic infiltrate. The presence of T. brevior in the airways has been histologically documented for the first time and its life-threatening potential is discussed.