Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia affecting the brain
By Tartari, Ilaria et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2025·From Veterinary Neurological Center "La Fenice, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia with Central Nervous System Involvement in a Dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old male mixed-breed dog was brought in because he had been getting weaker over the past two months, with a noticeable decline in the last two days. He showed signs of weakness in all four legs, difficulty with coordination, and discomfort when his neck was touched. Tests revealed a type of blood cancer called chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, which was affecting his nervous system. The vet treated him with medications that initially improved his symptoms, but after six weeks, he developed seizures and further neurological issues. This case highlights the importance of checking for blood disorders in dogs showing neurological signs.
People also search for: dog weakness and seizures · mixed-breed dog blood cancer · dog neurological problems treatment
Abstract
An 8 yr old, male, mixed-breed dog was presented with a 2 mo history of progressive weakness, worsened in the last 2 days before examination. Neurological examination revealed ambulatory tetraparesis, ataxia, and proprioceptive deficits in all four limbs. Menace response was reduced in the right eye and discomfort was detected on neck manipulation.  Hematologic abnormalities included marked monocytosis. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and cervical spinal cord revealed multifocal lesions with heterogeneous contrast enhancement. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis showed atypical monocytoid cells with similar cells to those observed in peripheral blood and in bone marrow preparations. The dog was diagnosed with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia. Prednisolone and toceranib were administered with improvement of the neurological signs. After 6 wk, the dog presented for worsening of neurological signs and with the onset of epileptic seizures. The results of flow cytometry were compatible with the possible transformation to acute myeloid leukemia. Although rare, myeloid leukemia may be included in differential diagnosis of patients with central nervous system signs, especially in dogs with relevant hematological abnormalities. In this case, cerebrospinal fluid examination played a key role identifying atypical cells.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39761570/