Candida parapsilosis complex infection in a cutaneous lesion from a dog: Spotlight on an opportunistic pathogen of potential increasing importance

Fine-needle aspirates from a 1.5-cm cutaneous mass in a Cocker Spaniel were submitted for cytologic examination. Marked pyogranulomatous inflammation and fungal organisms were present, identified as Candida parapsilosis complex by MALDI-ToF following fungal culture. The fungal infection was considered secondary or an incidental finding, following the diagnosis of a benign keratinizing lesion by histopathologic examination of the excised mass. This case is presented to increase awareness and describe the cytologic features of a potential pathogen, which is of increasing importance in human medicine but has a limited presence in the veterinary literature despite the potential for a similar significance.