Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with progressive weakness and brain inflammation diagnosed by MRI
By Salvadori, C et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2007·Dipartimento di Patologia Animale, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Magnetic resonance imaging and pathological findings in a case of canine idiopathic eosinophilic meningoencephalitis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 6-month-old male Maremma shepherd was brought in for weakness, depression, and confusion that had been worsening over four months. The dog showed signs of disorientation, visual problems, and difficulty with coordination. MRI scans revealed brain changes consistent with severe inflammation, and tests ruled out infections or parasites, suggesting an immune-related condition. The dog was diagnosed with idiopathic eosinophilic meningoencephalitis, a rare brain inflammation. While the outcome isn't specified, early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for managing such conditions.
People also search for: dog weakness and confusion · Maremma shepherd brain inflammation · MRI for dog brain problems
Abstract
A case of idiopathic eosinophilic meningoencephalitis in a six-month-old male Maremma shepherd dog is reported. The dog was referred with a four month history of progressive weakness and depression with loss of trained habits. Tendency to recumbency, disorientation, visual impairment, bilaterally decreased menace response and hindlimb conscious proprioception deficits were detected. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a diffuse hypointense signal involving the cerebral grey matter with enlargement of the cerebral sulci on T1-weighted and fast fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequences consistent with a diffuse necrosis or atrophy of the cortical grey matter. Histological examination revealed severe inflammatory infiltration mainly composed of eosinophils and macrophages in the subarachnoid space and in the superficial layer of the cerebral cortex where parenchymal rarefaction and necrosis of neurones were also evident. No parasites, cysts or fungi were detected, and an immunologically mediated disorder was suspected. Magnetic resonance imaging may represent a useful diagnostic tool to differentiate idiopathic eosinophilic meningoencephalitis from other inflammatory brain diseases of young dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17663664/