Cranial abdominal mass due to Echinococcus multilocularis in a two-year-old wirehaired dachshund in Wallonia (Belgium)

A cranial abdominal mass on the left side was detected upon palpation in a two-and-a-half-year-old male wirehaired dachshund. No other clinical signs were recorded except exhaustion following exertion, and soft faeces. Abdominal echography showed hepatomegaly with extensive histological alterations; microscopical examination of smears from hepatic mass and fluid punction revealed a low cellularity and protoscolex-like structures. Following those findings, euthanasia was requested by the owner. Necropsy revealed a severe multifocal chronic active hepatitis with some degree of right ventricular dilatation. Based on histopathology and PCR, a diagnosis of alveolar echinococcosis due to Echinococcus multilocularis was established. The dog was living in the Ardennes region in Belgium known as being endemic for E multilocularis. The present observation is in agreement with a similar canine case previously published and the high prevalence of E multilocularis in the local fox population. © British Veterinary Association