Indian J. Vet. Pathol.

, 33(2) : 204-206, 2009

Cutaneous mycotic granuloma (dermatomycosis) in fowl:

A pathomorphological observations
M. Lakshman1*, Y. Nagamalleswari2 and C. Balachandran3
Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary Science,
Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad-500 030.
3
Department of Pathology, Madras Veterinary College, Chennai.

ABSTRACT
Lakshman, M., Nagamalleswari, Y. and Balachandran, C. (2009). Cutaneous mycotic granuloma (dermatomycosis) in fowl: a
pathomorphological observations. Indian J. Vet. Pathol., 33(2): 204-206.

Eight layer birds on necropsy revealed hard, firm nodular growths on dorsal aspect of cervical region below the skull with broken and
featherless appearance of skin. The growths measuring 5.5 x 3.5 x 1.5 cm and weighing 175 g had irregular surface and were granular in
appearance. Haematoxylin and eosin, Grocott and Griddley’s and toludine blue staining of tissues sections revealed the presence hyphae in
multiple granulomatous lesions with central caseation. The dermal capillaries showed the presence of thrombi.
Keywords: Cutaneous mycotic granuloma, dermal capillary thrombi, fowl, fungal hyphae
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Information on the incidences of naturally occurring buffer (pH 7.2) for 24 h at 4oC and post-fixed in 2% aqueous
nodular growths among avian species is meagre. Most osmium tetroxide for 2 h. Fixed samples were
dehydrated in graded alcohol, infiltrated and embedded
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of the studies on avian nodular growths have focused

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attention on viral etiology, but the occurrence of growths
of non-viral origin is also quite common, which could be
due to the short life span of commercial poultry12,13,14.
Amongst the nodular lesions observed, 90% of the
nodules were tumours out of which 70% of them were
adenocarcinomas13. In spontaneous neoplasms, 74%
accounted for ovarian tumors5. Studies on tumours due
to Aspergillus, Pencillium and Zygomyces species were also
available1,4,11.
The present study deals with dermatomycosis in
fowl transmitted through broken skin and
haematogenous route. Eight dead layer birds of twelve
weeks of age from AICRP (All India Co-ordinated
Research Project) on poultry were presented for routine
necropsy examination. Firm nodular growths
measuring 5.5 x 3.5 x 1.5 cm and weighed approximately
175 g were present on dorsal aspect of cervical region
below the skull with featherless broken, irregular and
granular surface (Fig. 1). Other visceral organs did not
show any significant lesion.
The representative tissue samples were collected in
10% NBF (Neutral buffered formalin) and processed by
paraffin embedding method9, sectioned at 4-5 microns
thickness8 and stained by haematoxylin and eosin (H&E)
and Grocott and Gridley’s (GG) method 7. Semithin
sections were also made (300-500 nm thickness) and
stained with toulidine blue and examined under a Carl
Zeiss microscope (Model: Axiosko 2 plus).
The samples for transmission electron microscopy
were fixed in 2.5% gluteraldehyde in 0.05 M phosphate
*
Corresponding author; e-mail: mekala_bry@yahoo.com
in Spurrs’ resin15. The ultrathin sectioning (50-70 nm
thickness) was done with a glass knife on a Leica ultracut
UCT-GA-D/E-1/100 ultra microtome. The sections were
mounted on to copper grids, stained with saturated
aqueous uranyl acetate and counterstained with 4% lead
citrate7 and examined in an electron microscope (Hitachi
H-7500) at RUSKA Labs, College of Veterinary Sciences.
For scanning electron microscopy, the samples fixed,
post-fixed and dehydrated as above were dried to critical
point with CPD (critical point drier) unit and were
mounted over the stubs with double-sided conductiity
carbon tape. A thin layer of platinum metal was applied
over the sample using an automated sputter coater (JEOL
JFC-1600) for 2 min. Then, samples were scanned under
a scanning electron microscope (Model: JOEL-JSM 56000)7.
The fungus was not cultured. Microscopically, the
paraffin sections and semithin sections stained by H&E,
GG and Toulidin blue showed multiple granulomas (Fig.
2), which were characterized by granulomatus reaction
by presence of fungal hyphae in central caseated
necrotized cutaneous tissue, proliferation of numerous
fibrous tisues and infiltration of giant cells in the necrotic
area. The dermal capillaries also showed the presence of
thrombi (Fig. 3). Other visceral organs did not reveal
any significant microscopical lesions.
These observations were also supported by
transmission and scanning electron microscopic studies.
Transmission electron microscopy revealed multiple
areas of granulomatus lesions in dermal tissue, which
were surrounded by proliferating fibrous tissue (fig. 4)
and fungal thrombi were clearly discernible in
cutaneous capillaries (Fig. 5).
 Cutaneous mycotic granuloma (dermatomycosis) in fowl 205
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Fig. 1. White leghorn layer bird of twelve weeks old showing cutaneous/subcutaneous growths extending up to ¼ to ½ of the base of skull
(Either side). Fig. 2. Cutaneous /sub cutaneous areas showing multiple granulomas - GG x 80. Fig. 3. Mycotic thrombi in dermal capillaries.
HE x 320. Fig. 4. Cutaneous /sub cutaneous areas of dermal tissue showing multiple granulomas, fungal hyphae, giant cells infiltration and
fibrous tissue proliferation. Toluidine blue x 100. Fig. 5. Transmission electron micrograph of dermal capillaries showing varied sizes of
mycotic emboli (small, medium and large) surrounded by electron dense material, fibrous tissue and different stages of giant cell. Uranyl
acetate and Lead citrate x 13272. Fig. 6. Scanning electron micrograph of dermal capillary showing branched septate hyphae with terminal
spores. X2700.

Scanning electron microscopy revealed the presence
of branched fungal hyphae with spores in the centre of
the most of the granulomas in the dermal tissue (Fig. 6).
The fungal mycosis (Zygomycetes) in ubiquitous in
nature and is found in decaying plant debris, soil, and
manure of herbivores3,6. Its incidences in layers, cockerels
and pullets have been reported earlier10,16,17. The mode of
transmission is usually through inhalation or ingestion
of spores or by tissue invasion into the broken skin2. The
possibility of this fungus causing the granulomatous
 206 Lakshman et al.
growths in the present study cannot be ruled out.
Visceral organs did not reveal any metaststic lesion,
whereas in animals, Zygomycetes fungi have been
reported to spread haematogenously through thrombi
leading to disseminated forms in visceral organs.
Absence of metastasis of infection as recorded in the
present study also find support from earlier
observations12,16,17. Histopathologically, the Zygomycetes
could be visualized in tissue sections with H&E and
special stain could distinguish from Aspergillus fungal
hyphae were wider, infrequently septate, and has non
parallel sides. It could also be confirmed with special
stains such as Periodic Acid Schiff (PAS) and Grcott’s
methanamine silver nitrate (GMS) where the hyphae
did not stain as distinct as other fungi like Aspergellus
species. The occurrence of dermatomycosis in fowl
through broken skin with evidence of haematogenous
spread has not been reported earlier.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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The authors are grateful to the Dean, Faculty of
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Veterinary Science, for permitting to utilize the facilities
at RUSKA Labs (EM Unit), Sri Venkateswara Veterinary
University, Rajendranagar, Hydrabad-30.
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