Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with forelimb weakness diagnosed with myasthenia gravis and liver
By Krotje, L J et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·1990·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Acquired myasthenia gravis and cholangiocellular carcinoma in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old English Setter was brought in for limping in the front legs, weakness during exercise, and a fever. The dog had previously suffered from a lung infection, and after further testing, it was diagnosed with both acquired myasthenia gravis (a condition that causes muscle weakness) and cholangiocellular carcinoma (a type of liver cancer). The vet suspected that the cancer might have triggered the muscle condition due to a possible connection between the two. Treatment details were not specified, but addressing both conditions is crucial for the dog's recovery.
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Abstract
Acquired myasthenia gravis and cholangiocellular carcinoma were diagnosed in a 7-year-old English Setter referred because of forelimb lameness, exercise-induced weakness, and fever. Three months earlier, the dog had had a pleuropulmonary infection caused by a Fusobacterium sp. The concurrent development of myasthenia gravis and cholangiocellular carcinoma in this dog may be explained by a paraneoplastic syndrome, although it is unproven. The cholangiocellular carcinoma may have possessed an acetylcholine receptor-like antigen on the tumor surface, which induced autoantibodies to cross-react with acetylcholine receptors at the neuromuscular junction.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2170311/