Case report of Toxocara canis migration to canine brain

Toxocara canis is a gastrointestinal helminthe of dogs found all over the world. When dogs ingest the infectious eggs of Toxocara canis, the eggs hatch and larvae penetrate the intestinal wall carried by migration to a wide variety of tissues. Despite its zoonotic effects, there have been few reports on dogs diagnosed as canine ascaridiasis in Korea. In this report, we present a case of canine toxocariasis by histopathologic finding and PCR assay. H & E stain showed granulomatous inflammation and intralesional larva in organs and even the cortex of the cerebellum. Toxocara canis was confirmed in the PCR assay where DNA was extracted from heart, liver, and cerebellum.