Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
West Highland terrier with seizures and brain inflammation
By Aresu, L et al.·Published in Journal of comparative pathology·2007·Dipartimento di Patologia Animale, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Canine necrotizing encephalitis associated with anti-glomerular basement membrane glomerulonephritis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old male West Highland White Terrier was brought in for seizures that had been happening for four months. The dog showed signs of depression and difficulty with movement during the exam. Sadly, a post-mortem examination revealed severe brain damage due to necrotizing meningoencephalitis (NME), which is a serious inflammatory condition. Additionally, tests showed kidney issues linked to an immune response. This case suggests that the brain and kidney problems might be related to the dog's immune system attacking its own tissues.
People also search for: West Highland White Terrier seizures · dog brain inflammation treatment · immune-mediated kidney disease in dogs
Abstract
A 2-year-old male West Highland white terrier with a 4-month history of seizures was referred for investigation. Depressed mentation, proprioceptive deficit and decreased menace response were noted at neurological examination. Post-mortem examination of the brain revealed multifocal lesions located principally in the left side of the diencephalon and mesencephalon. The lesions consisted of non-suppurative inflammation and large areas of cavitation. The clinical evaluation and histopathological findings were consistent with a diagnosis of necrotizing meningoencephalitis (NME). Immunofluorescence performed on frozen sections of kidney revealed strong smooth linear labelling of the glomerular basement membrane with anti-IgG serum as well as weaker linear labelling with anti-IgM serum. This histomorphological pattern was consistent with anti-glomerular basement membrane glomerulonephritis. The association of this type of glomerulonephritis with a necrotizing encephalitis would support the hypothesis of an immune-mediated aetiology for NME.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17459407/