Cryptococcal Maxillary Osteomyelitis and Osteonecrosis in a 18-Month-Old Dog

An 18-month-old neutered male labradoodle was treated with surgical debridement for maxillary osteomyelitis and sequestrum formation. Histopathologic findings of the necrotic bone were consistent with Cryptococcus subspecies, confirmed with latex agglutination serum titer testing. The patient responded to a combination of fluconazole and surgical debridement and was titer negative after 8 months of medical therapy. The patient never exhibited signs of systemic illness which is commonly reported with cryptococcosis. Cryptococcus subspecies infection in dogs in the Pacific Northwest is part of an ongoing outbreak in the region, first reported in 2001, and is associated with specific risk factors. This is the first published case of oral cryptococcosis from primary inoculation.

Multiple inoculations of ductile iron and the effects on properties

Multiple inoculation of ductile iron and the effects on the structure and mechanical properties have being investigated. Samples of ductile iron were produced with inoculation carried out either once or twice and with different materials as inoculants. Ferrosilicon was used for the primary inoculation and either ferrosilicon or nickel-ferrosilicon for the secondary inoculation. It is observed that the nodules produced are more and finer with multiple inoculations and the effect is more pronounced with nickel-ferrosilicon as the secondary inoculant. Multiple inoculations produce an increase in the hardness of ductile iron when ferrosilicon is used as the secondary inoculant while a decrease in the hardness is observed with nickel-ferrosilicon despite the finer nodules. This is explained by the fact that nickel enhances graphitization in cast iron thereby depleting carbon in the matrix and making the cast iron weaker but with more nodules.