Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cerebrospinal fluid with high eosinophils in dogs explained
By Windsor, R C et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2009·Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Cerebrospinal fluid eosinophilia in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 23 dogs with eosinophilic meningitis, a condition where the immune system's eosinophils (a type of white blood cell) invade the brain and spinal fluid, was studied. Many of these dogs showed symptoms like neurological decline, but 75% of those with idiopathic eosinophilic meningoencephalomyelitis (EME) improved after being treated with prednisone, a steroid that reduces inflammation. Some dogs had infections that were found during necropsy, which led to a worse outcome. Overall, while some dogs recovered well with treatment, others with infections had a poor prognosis.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Marked eosinophilic meningitis or meningoencephalomyelitis (EME) is rarely reported in dogs and the cause is usually undetermined. Long-term prognosis for dogs with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) eosinophilia is variable. ANIMALS: Twenty-three client-owned dogs. METHODS: Retrospective case series. Dogs with eosinophilic CSF, defined as total nucleated cell count (TNCC) >3 cells/microL with >20% eosinophils, were identified by a computerized search of all dogs having cisternal and/or lumbar CSF analyzed as part of the diagnostic workup between 1992 and 2007. RESULTS: TNCC in CSF ranged from 4 to 4,740 cells/microL (median 84 cells/microL, reference range <or=3 cells/microL), with 22 to 95% (median 78%) eosinophils in the differential count. An infectious agent was identified on necropsy in 4 of 23 (17%) dogs (Cryptococcus neoformans [n = 2], Neospora caninum [n = 1], and Baylisascaris procyonis [n = 1]). Each of these dogs had progressive neurologic deterioration. Sixteen dogs had idiopathic EME. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings were abnormal in 7 of 13 dogs with EME; 2 dogs had focal lesions and 5 dogs had multifocal lesions. Clinical signs in 12 of 16 (75%) dogs with idiopathic EME resolved with prednisone treatment. Three dogs with acute intervertebral disc herniations recovered after decompressive surgery alone. CONCLUSIONS: Idiopathic EME is a common cause of eosinophilic pleocytosis in dogs. MRI findings are variable. Infectious causes of EME were less common and had a poor prognosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19210314/