Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
MRI shows meningitis and tissue inflammation in dogs
By Remelli, Carlotta et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2022·Department of Animal Medicine, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Magnetic resonance imaging highlights the meningeal involvement in steroid responsive meningitis-arteritis and suggests the inflammation of the surrounding tissues (70 cases).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A young dog diagnosed with steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis (SRMA) showed signs of neck pain and inflammation. MRI scans revealed significant swelling in the protective membranes around the brain and spinal cord, which is common in SRMA cases. The study found that MRI is a helpful tool for diagnosing this condition, as it can show inflammation that might not be visible through other tests. Both low-field and high-field MRI machines were effective, but the high-field MRI provided clearer images. Treatment typically involves steroids, which can help reduce inflammation and improve symptoms.
People also search for: dog neck pain SRMA · MRI for dog meningitis · steroid treatment for dog meningitis
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis (SRMA) is an immune-mediated disorder of young dogs for which there is no definitive ante-mortem diagnostic test. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) can be used to explore other differentials and extensive reports about its usefulness in the diagnosis of SRMA are lacking. The aims of this study were to retrospectively investigate the characteristics of MRI studies of the cervical spine of dogs diagnosed with SRMA and to compare the diagnostic capability of MRI obtained with low-field and high-field units. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a double center, retrospective case series. Databases were searched between 2008 and 2021 for dogs with a diagnosis of SRMA. Dogs were included if the following criteria were fulfilled: a diagnosis of cervical SRMA, results of CSF analysis, and MRI of the cervical spine available for re-evaluation. RESULTS: Seventy cases were selected. MRI abnormalities were found in 69 cases (98.6%). Enhancement of the meninges, nerve roots, synovium of the articular facets and paravertebral muscles was present in 61 (87.1%), 10 (14.3%), 34 (48.6%), and 34 (48.6%) cases, respectively, when considering all MRI. In the low-field MRI, enhancement of these structures was present in 45 (90%), 4 (8%), 21 (42%) and 23 (46%) cases, respectively. In the high-field MRI, enhancement of these structures was present in 16 (80%), 6 (30%), 13 (65%) and 11 (55%) cases, respectively. Fat suppressed T1W images showed meningeal enhancement better than T1W images. When all the MRIs were considered, a significant increase in cell count of the cerebrospinal fluid was found between the three groups based on the meningeal MRI score (= 0.001). In cases with no meningeal enhancement but enhancement of synovium of the articular facets and/or muscles a significantly lower cerebrospinal fluid cell count was present (= 0.043), when considering all MRIs. CONCLUSIONS: The most frequent detection on cervical MRI of dogs affected by SRMA is meningeal enhancement, often accompanied by enhancement of the synovium of the articular facets and/or muscular enhancement. Both low-field and high-field MRI have good diagnostic capability but the latter enables a more thorough investigation thanks to specific sequences. MRI is useful as a complementary tool to cerebrospinal fluid analysis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36061118/