Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Autoimmune myasthenia gravis and dysautonomia in a dog.
- Journal:
- The Journal of small animal practice
- Year:
- 2008
- Authors:
- Gajanayake, I et al.
- Affiliation:
- Dick White Referrals · United Kingdom
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A two-year-old male border collie was taken to the vet because he had been experiencing diarrhea, coughing, vomiting, and trouble urinating. During the examination, the vet noticed that he was having difficulty breathing and had a very full bladder. Further tests showed that he had a condition called megaesophagus, which means his esophagus was enlarged, and he also had aspiration pneumonia, a lung infection caused by inhaling food or liquid. Blood tests indicated a high level of antibodies related to a condition called autoimmune myasthenia gravis, which affects muscle control. Sadly, despite these findings, the dog's health continued to decline, and he was euthanized. This case is significant because it is the first known instance of both autoimmune myasthenia gravis and dysautonomia (a disorder of the autonomic nervous system) occurring together in a dog.
Abstract
A two-year-old male entire border collie dog was evaluated for a short history of mixed bowel diarrhoea, coughing, vomiting and stranguria. Physical examination revealed dyspnoea with increased ventral lung sounds and a flaccidly distended bladder. Neurological examination revealed poor pupillary light reflexes, an absent gag reflex and a poor anal tone. Thoracic radiography was consistent with megaoesophagus and aspiration pneumonia. Clinicopathological testing revealed an elevated muscular nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antibody titre. The dog was euthanased because of clinical deterioration. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collected immediately post-mortem revealed macrophagic pleocytosis. Post-mortem histopathological examination was consistent with dysautonomia. This is the first report of coexisting autoimmune myasthenia gravis and dysautonomia in a non-human species. The concomitant diseases may suggest a common immunopathological aetiology.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18684149/