Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog in New Zealand with brain infection from protothecosis algae
By Walker, A et al.·Published in New Zealand veterinary journal·2022·Veterinary Specialist Aotearoa·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Disseminated protothecosis with central nervous system involvement in a dog in New Zealand.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 1-year-old Border Terrier was brought to the vet with sudden neurological issues and neck pain. The dog showed severe coordination problems, muscle tremors, and signs of nerve damage. Scans revealed brain lesions and an abdominal mass, which were linked to a rare infection caused by algae. Unfortunately, despite treatment attempts, the dog's condition did not improve, leading to a decision for euthanasia due to a poor prognosis.
People also search for: dog neurological signs · Border Terrier neck pain · dog abdominal mass treatment · protothecosis in dogs · dog tremors and ataxia
Abstract
CASE HISTORY: A 1-year-old Border Terrier presented with acute onset of neurological signs and neck pain. CLINICAL FINDINGS: Severe generalised ataxia, muscle tremors and cranial nerve deficits were noted. Multifocal brain lesions were suspected based on neurological examination. Computed tomography revealed an abdominal mass and cerebellar herniation through the foramen magnum. LABORATORY AND PATHOLOGICAL FINDINGS: Cytological and histopathological analysis of the abdominal mass revealed necrotising and granulomatous lymphadenitis with intralesional algal elements most consistent withspp.. Culture of a sample from the mesenteric lymph node confirmed the presence ofspp. which was identified asbased on sequencing of a DNA fragment amplified by PCR. Following inadequate response to symptomatic therapy and poor prognosis, the dog was subjected to euthanasia. Histopathological evaluation of the central nervous system lesions, identified granulomatous meningitis and ventriculitis with the presence of intralesional algae. DIAGNOSIS: Disseminated protothecosis with granulomatous meningitis and ventriculitis caused by(formerlygen. 2). CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This is the first case report of disseminated protothecosis with central nervous system involvement in a dog in New Zealand.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35317706/