Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with sudden weakness in all legs due to cryptococcosis - surgery
By Kerwin, S C et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·1998·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Cervical spinal cord compression caused by cryptococcosis in a dog: successful treatment with surgery and fluconazole.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 6-year-old male Doberman was brought in after suddenly having trouble moving all four legs, a condition known as upper motor neuron tetraparesis. Tests revealed a large mass pressing on his spinal cord, which turned out to be caused by a fungal infection called cryptococcosis. The mass was surgically removed, which relieved his symptoms, and he was given fluconazole, an antifungal medication, for several months. After treatment, the dog showed no signs of infection and was able to recover fully.
People also search for: dog sudden weakness · Doberman spinal cord surgery · cryptococcosis treatment in dogs
Abstract
A six-year-old, male Doberman pinscher was presented for acute onset of upper motor neuron tetraparesis. An extradural compressive lesion compatible with intervertebral disk rupture at the sixth to seventh cervical (C6-C7) disk space was evident on myelography. A large, gelatinous mass of pure cryptococcal organisms causing spinal cord compression was identified upon exploratory surgery. Removal of the mass caused relief of clinical signs. No evidence of involvement of other organ systems was found; however, serum and cerebrospinal fluid titers were positive for cryptococcal infection. The dog was treated with fluconazole (5.5 mg/kg body weight, per os sid) until serum titers for cryptococcal infection were negative at seven months postsurgery. To the authors' knowledge, this is the only report of a dog with cryptococcosis treated successfully using fluconazole as a sole agent.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9826290/