Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with seizures from brain tissue hernia treated with surgery
By Mojarradi, Abtin et al.·Published in Acta veterinaria Scandinavica·2021·The IVC Evidensia Referral Hospital in Helsingborg·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Diagnosis, treatment and postsurgical complications in a dog with epileptic seizures and a naso-ethmoidal meningoencephalocele.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3.3-year-old male neutered Tamaskan Dog was brought in for frequent epileptic seizures that didn’t respond to medication. The cause was found to be a rare condition where brain tissue was protruding into the nasal area, requiring surgery to remove it. After the operation, the dog experienced some complications, but these were resolved with additional treatment. Unfortunately, the surgery did not reduce the frequency of his seizures, and he continued on his anti-seizure medications without changes for 15 months.
People also search for: dog seizures treatment · Tamaskan Dog epilepsy · nasal discharge in dogs · surgery for meningoencephalocele in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Naso-ethmoidal meningoencephalocele is usually a congenital anomaly consisting of a protrusion of cerebral tissue and meninges into the ethmoidal labyrinth. The condition is a rare cause of structural epilepsy in dogs. We report the clinical presentation, surgical intervention, postoperative complications and outcome in a dog with drug resistant epilepsy secondary to a meningoencephalocele. CASE PRESENTATION: A 3.3-year-old male neutered Tamaskan Dog was referred for assessment of epileptic seizures secondary to a previously diagnosed left-sided naso-ethmoidal meningoencephalocele. The dog was drug resistant to medical management with phenobarbital, potassium bromide and levetiracetam. Surgical intervention was performed by a transfrontal craniotomy with resection of the meningoencephalocele and closure of the dural defect. Twenty-four hours after surgery the dog demonstrated progressive cervical hyperaesthesia caused by tension pneumocephalus and pneumorrhachis. Replacement of the fascial graft resulted in immediate resolution of the dog's neurological signs. Within 5 months after surgery the dog progressively developed sneezing and haemorrhagic nasal discharge, caused by sinonasal aspergillosis. Systemic medical management with oral itraconazole (7 mg/kg orally q12h) was well-tolerated and resulted in resolution of the clinical signs. The itraconazole was tapered with no relapsing upper airway signs. The dog's frequency of epileptic seizures was not affected by surgical resection of the meningoencephalocele. No treatment adjustments of the anti-epileptic medication have been necessary during the follow-up period of 15 months. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical resection of the meningoencephalocele did not affect the seizure frequency of the dog. Further research on prognostic factors associated with surgical treatment of meningoencephaloceles in dogs is necessary. Careful monitoring for postsurgical complications allows prompt initiation of appropriate treatment.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34238330/