Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with spinal cord inflammation from reactivated toxoplasmosis
By Lindsay, Scott A et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2010·Faculty of Veterinary Science, Australia·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Myelitis due to reactivated spinal toxoplasmosis in a cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old female neutered Cornish Rex cat was brought in with symptoms related to her spinal cord, which suggested a central nervous system issue. Despite testing for Toxoplasma gondii, the results indicated past exposure rather than an active infection, and the cat did not improve with treatment. Unfortunately, she passed away, and a post-mortem examination confirmed that she had spinal inflammation and damage due to reactivated toxoplasmosis. This case highlights the challenges in diagnosing and treating this condition in cats.
People also search for: cat spinal problems · Cornish Rex toxoplasmosis symptoms · cat myelitis treatment
Abstract
The diagnosis, management, and subsequent post-mortem confirmation of a case of suspected reactivated spinal toxoplasmosis in a 10-year-old female neutered Cornish Rex are described. While an ante-mortem diagnosis of toxoplasmosis was considered possible based on the neuroanatomical diagnosis of central nervous system (CNS) disease primarily involving spinal cord segment C6-T2 and the progressive elimination of other potential causes, Toxoplasma gondii antibody titres were consistent with previous exposure rather than active infection. A poor response to appropriate therapy did not support a diagnosis of toxoplasmosis. A post-mortem morphological diagnosis of marked segmental non-suppurative myelitis and necrosis, and an aetiological diagnosis of toxoplasmosis were made. The clinical and pathological findings are supportive of CNS inflammation due to reactivation of latent tissue T gondii cysts.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20674426/