Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Mycobacterium haemophilum infection found in dog spinal fluid
By De New, Kara M et al.·Published in Veterinary clinical pathology·2023·University of Missouri, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Mycobacterium haemophilum infection in canine cerebrospinal fluid.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 4-year-old female spayed Australian cattle dog was brought to the vet because she was experiencing severe pain and lethargy. She had noticeable neck pain and weakness in her front legs. An MRI showed significant issues in her cervical spine, and tests on her cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) revealed an infection caused by Mycobacterium haemophilum, a type of bacteria. This is the first known case of this infection affecting a dog's central nervous system diagnosed through CSF analysis. Treatment details were not provided, but early diagnosis is crucial for managing such infections.
People also search for: dog neck pain · Australian cattle dog lethargy · Mycobacterium haemophilum infection in dogs · dog spinal cord infection treatment
Abstract
A 4-year-old female spayed Australian cattle dog was presented to the Emergency Service at the University of Missouri Veterinary Health Center Small Animal Hospital for generalized pain and lethargy. At presentation, the dog showed severe cervical spinal pain and thoracic limb deficits consistent with a multifocal neuroanatomic localization. Magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical spine revealed T2 and T1 postcontrast intense signal extending from the level of the medulla through C5 most marked in the caudal brainstem and cranial cervical spinal cord. The suspected diagnosis was severe meningoencephalomyelitis and secondary edema. Analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collected from the cerebellomedullary cistern revealed a marked mixed pleocytosis with intralesional structures morphologically consistent with Mycobacterium sp. Standard DNA PCR assay performed on the CSF yielded the presence of Mycobacterium haemophilum. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported case of CNS mycobacteriosis diagnosed on CSF analysis in a dog.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36931892/