Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with worsening weakness and nerve inflammation like human
By Li, Wen-Ta et al.·Published in The Journal of veterinary medical science·2019·Graduate Institute of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Concurrent leukoencephalomyelitis and polyneuritis in a Maltese terrier: resembling combined central and peripheral demyelination in humans.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A one-year-old male Maltese terrier was brought to the vet after showing signs of mild unsteadiness and confusion for four months. His condition worsened, leading to weakness in his back legs and eventually making him unable to walk, along with changes in his voice and difficulty swallowing. After thorough testing, including ruling out various infections, the dog was diagnosed with leukoencephalomyelitis and polyneuritis, which are conditions that affect the nervous system. Treatment details weren't specified, but this diagnosis indicates a serious autoimmune issue.
People also search for: Maltese dog ataxia treatment · dog weakness and disorientation · autoimmune disease in dogs
Abstract
A one-year-old male Maltese terrier presented with mild ataxia and disorientation for 4 months. Over time, clinical signs progressed from paraparesis to non-ambulatory tetraparesis, voice change and dysphagia. Histological examination revealed concurrent leukoencephalomyelitis and polyneuritis. Infectious etiologies, including dengue, Japanese encephalitis, Zika, canine distemper, pseudorabies, rabies, toxoplasmosis, neosporosis, leishmaniasis, and encephalitozoonosis, were ruled out by PCR and/or immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. IHC tested on neurological tissues highlighted a heterogeneous population of infiltrating T and B lymphocytes admixed macrophages. Therefore, this case was diagnosed with current leukoencephalomyelitis and polyneuritis, resembling combined central and peripheral demyelination (CCPD), an autoimmune inflammatory demyelinating disease affecting both the CNS and PNS in humans.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31366813/