Septic Implantation Syndrome Analysis of 29 canine and 11

feline cases

Dick Dubielzig and Chris Pirie

Comparative Ocular Pathology Laboratory

University of Madison-Wisconsin

Canine Cases

• 29 cases of 9, 300 ocular submissions

• 10 documented cases of cat scratch

• Typical ophthalmic findings included– chronic, poorly responsive anterior uveitis– cataract formation– +/- anterior or posterior synechiae, corneal scar,

and/or glaucoma

Canine Cases

• Signalment– Breed

• No predilection, however, small breeds and young (<1 year) large breed dogs over represented

– Gender• 3 F, 10 FS, 3 M, 12 MC, 1 unknown

– Age• Mean 7.4 years (range 3.5 months to 15 years)

Canine Cases• Globe involvement

– 15 OD vs 14 OS

• History– 10 cat scratch vs 19 unknown or suspected

• Duration (2 unknown)

Known Cat Unknown Total

< 1 week 3 1 4

1 week- 1 month 1 11 12

1-4 months 5 3 8

>4 months 1 2 3

Canine Cases

• Intra-lenticular bacteria– 7 negative of H+E and gram stain– 22 positive for bacteria

• 19 gram positive cocci

• 2 gram positive rods

• 1 gram positive cocci and rods

Feline Cases

• 11 cases out of 3, 400 ocular submissions• 2 documented, 9 unknown or suspected cases• Signalment

– Breed• 8 DSH, 1 DMH, 1 DLH, 1 Persian

– Gender• 5 FS, 1 M, 5 MC

– Age• Mean 5.3 years (range 1year to 14 years)

Feline Cases• Duration (2 unknown)

• Intra-lenticular bacteria– 4 negative of H+E and gram stain– 4 gram positive cocci– 1 Candida– 1 gram positive and negative bacilli– 1 gram positive cocci, gram positive and negative bacilli

Known Cat Scratch

Unknown Total

< 1 week 0 0 0

1 week- 1month 2 3 5

1-4 months 0 4 4

What about phacoclastic inflammaton?

Phacoclastic uveitis is a term used to characterize the inflammation seen around a ruptured lens as is seen in these cases. The term carries with it the implication that the inflammation is caused by the release of lens proteins otherwise sequestered. I believe that in these dogs the inflammation is do to bacterial infection and not simply exposure of lens proteins.