Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Testing spinal fluid from two sites helps diagnose steroid-responsive
By Carletti, Beatrice E et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2019·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Evaluation of concurrent analysis of cerebrospinal fluid samples collected from the cerebellomedullary cistern and lumbar subarachnoid space for the diagnosis of steroid-responsive meningitis arteritis in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 111 dogs with suspected steroid-responsive meningitis arteritis (SRMA) had cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples taken from two different areas of the spine to improve diagnosis. The study found that analyzing samples from both the cerebellomedullary cistern and lumbar subarachnoid space helped identify more cases of SRMA compared to just one site. While some dogs had normal cell counts, the combined analysis increased the chances of detecting the condition. This approach can help veterinarians make a more accurate diagnosis and provide better treatment for affected dogs.
People also search for: dog meningitis symptoms · steroid-responsive meningitis treatment · cerebrospinal fluid analysis in dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether concurrent analysis of CSF samples from 2 collection sites (cerebellomedullary cistern [CMC] and lumbar subarachnoid space [LSS]) versus only 1 site could improve the diagnostic sensitivity of CSF analysis for dogs with suspected steroid-responsive meningitis arteritis (SRMA). ANIMALS: 111 client-owned dogs with SRMA diagnosed at 3 veterinary referral hospitals between 2011 and 2017. PROCEDURES: Only dogs with CSF collected from both sites (CMC and LSS) and with no previous history of corticosteroid administration were included. Medical record data and logistic regression were used to identify factors associated with having a total nucleated cell concentration (TNCC) within the reference interval in a CSF sample from 1 collection site. RESULTS: The TNCC was within the reference interval (TNCC < 5 cells/μL) in the CSF sample from 1 collection site for 8 of 111 (7%) dogs and was only slightly high (TNCC, 5 to 9 cells/μL) in the sample from 1 or both sites for 10 (11%) other dogs. For each of these 18 dogs, results for samples from 1 site were consistent with SRMA. The proportion of CSF samples that had a TNCC within the reference interval was comparable between sites. As age increased, so did the risk of having an unremarkable TNCC in the CSF sample from 1 site, albeit only slightly (OR, 1.08; 95% confidence interval, 1.01 to 1.16). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: CSF samples from both the CMC and LSS should be analyzed when evaluating dogs with suspected SRMA to improve the chance of detecting a high TNCC.
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/31617801/