Histopathological Changes in Liver and Spleen of Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis Due to Leishmania Infantum

Visceral leishmaniasis in dogs is an excellent model for studying visceral leishmaniasis in humans. The current study was designed to study the histopathological changes in liver and spleen of dogs with visceral leishmaniasis, due to Leishmania infantum. In this experimental study, liver and spleen samples form ten dogs with visceral leishmaniasis were compared with normal liver and spleen samples of ten dogs from non-endemic area. Liver and spleen tissue samples were stained by hematoxylin and eosin and also by Giemsa methods after tissue processing. Finally, using optical microscope, samples were carefully analyzed for finding any histopathological changes. In spleen of infected dogs’, in four cases (40%) severe infiltration of plasma cells, in five cases (50%) presence of megakaryocytes indicating extramedullary hematopoiesis, in one case (10%) inflammatory granulomatous reaction, in three cases (3%) atrophy of lymphoid follicles and loss of germinal centers, in four cases (40%) lymphoid follicles hypertrophy and also in one case (10%), the presence of Leishman bodies in large scale were observed. Liver tissue sections showed no significant changes. Visceral leishmaniasis can cause histopathological changes in spleen and among them the changes in the size and number of lymphoid follicles, chronic inflammation, granuloma formation and presence of Leishman bodies in spleen macrophages could be mentioned.