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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

German Shepherd dog brain abscess and pyocephalus seen on MRI

By Seiler, G et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2001·Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: Low-field magnetic resonance imaging of a pyocephalus and a suspected brain abscess in a German Shepherd dog.

Species:
dog

Plain-English summary

An 8-year-old female German Shepherd was brought to the vet because she was very depressed, not eating, and had a fever. After performing an MRI, the vet found a serious issue in her brain, including a suspected brain abscess and a condition called pyocephalus (an accumulation of pus in the brain). The MRI showed swelling and lesions in her brain, which were confirmed by testing the fluid around her brain. Unfortunately, this condition can be quite severe, but with prompt treatment, the dog has a chance of recovery.

People also search for: German Shepherd brain abscess symptoms · dog not eating and fever · pyocephalus treatment in dogs

Abstract

Magnetic resonance imaging was performed on an eight-year-old, neutered female German Shepherd dog with a history of acute depression, inappetence, and hyperthermia. A lesion in the cerebrum was suspected. Possible differential diagnoses were meningoencephalitis, neoplasia, and vascular lesion (infarction, bleeding). A ring enhancing lesion was found in the basal ganglia on the left side with edema of the surrounding brain tissue. A similar mass lesion was present in the right pterygoid musculature. With inversion recovery sequences an altered composition of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the left lateral ventricle could be detected. CSF analysis confirmed a pyocephalus, probably due to rupture of a brain abscess into the left lateral ventricle.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11678563/