Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
CT scan shows brain bleeding in young Cocker Spaniel with lung
By Zarelli, Micaela et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2012·School of Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Imaging diagnosis: CT findings in a dog with intracranial hemorrhage secondary to angiostrongylosis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-month-old Cocker Spaniel was brought in with a cough, extreme tiredness, and episodes of being overly excitable. The vet found signs of bleeding in the eyes and high blood pressure, along with abnormal lung sounds. Tests revealed a serious infection caused by a parasite called Angiostrongylus vasorum, which can lead to bleeding in the brain. Unfortunately, despite treatment, the dog's condition worsened, and it was euthanized. A postmortem exam confirmed multiple bleeding areas in the brain and body.
People also search for: dog coughing and lethargy · Cocker Spaniel brain bleeding · Angiostrongylus vasorum treatment · dog hyperexcitability causes
Abstract
A seven-month-old Cocker Spaniel had a cough, acute lethargy, decreased responsiveness, and episodes of hyperexcitability. There were bilateral generalized increased lung sounds, bilateral episcleral hemorrhage, and systemic hypertension. Prolonged buccal mucosal bleeding time and elevated D-dimer concentrations were detected. Radiographically, there was a generalized moderate unstructured interstitial pattern. In thoracic CT images, there was a diffuse moderate hyperattenuating appearance of the bronchial walls and interstitium and diffuse areas of moderate bronchiectasis. The brain CT images were characterized by marked hyperattenuating well-defined masses. In addition, there were smaller hyperattenuating and hypoattenuating masses scattered throughout the cerebral and cerebellar parenchyma. A zinc sulphate flotation test confirmed large numbers of Angiostrongylus vasorum L1 larvae. Despite therapy the dog continued to deteriorate and underwent euthanasia. Postmortem examination confirmed the presence of multiple intracranial and extracranial hemorrhages. Angiostrongylosis should be considered as one of the differential diagnoses in dogs presenting with neurologic signs consistent with acute intracranial haemorrhage.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22182196/