Isolation of Campylobacter upsaliensis From an Abscessed Hepatic Mass in a Dog

An 11-year-old male castrated Boston Terrier dog presented with acute onset lethargy and vomiting. On examination, the dog was febrile, tachycardic, and thought to have generalized abdominal pain. Abdominal ultrasonography identified a fluid-filled hepatic mass with suspected surrounding steatitis. Cytology from the hepatic mass indicated septic neutrophilic inflammation with extracellular and intracellular curved to spiral small bacterial organisms consistent with Campylobacter spp. The cytology results prompted appropriate isolation techniques composed of microaerophilic culture methods, which resulted in isolation of Campylobacter upsaliensis. Anaerobic and aerobic cultures also were performed and yielded no growth. Because of prognosis, the owner elected euthanasia, and necropsy identified a hepatocellular carcinoma as the underlying lesion for the abscessed hepatic mass.