Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Paraparesis in a Golden Retriever.
- Journal:
- Veterinary pathology
- Year:
- 2014
- Authors:
- Aschenbroich, S et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Pathology · United States
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old female spayed Golden Retriever was brought in because she had a fever and had been showing signs of neurological problems for 10 days, including difficulty walking and unsteady back legs. A neurological exam suggested an issue in her spinal cord, and X-rays of her chest showed an unusual pattern in her lungs. Despite attempts to find an infection or cancer through tests, nothing was found, and her condition continued to worsen, leading to the decision to euthanize her. An examination after her passing revealed multiple firm nodules in her lungs and other organs, and tests on these nodules indicated a serious disease affecting her body. Ultimately, the diagnosis pointed to a widespread granulomatous disease, which is a type of inflammation.
Abstract
A 7-year-old female spayed Golden Retriever dog presented with fever and a 10-day history of neurological signs, including ambulatory paraparesis and pelvic limb ataxia. Neurological examination initially revealed a T3-L3 myelopathy. Thoracic radiographs revealed a diffuse miliary pulmonary pattern. Endotracheal washes and fine-needle aspirates from several organs aimed at identifying a potential infectious agent or neoplastic process were all unsuccessful. Due to worsening of the clinical signs, euthanasia was elected. Necropsy findings included multifocal, pale to dark red, firm nodules infiltrating the lungs, heart, mesentery, pancreas, small intestine, brain, and spinal cord. Cytological examination of impression smears obtained from the pulmonary nodules during necropsy revealed clusters of epithelioid cells admixed with fewer spindle cells, erythrocytes, and scattered leukocytes. Clinical signs and cytological findings initially suggested the possibility of a widespread granulomatous disease or a metastatic epithelial neoplasm as possible clinical differentials in this case. The final diagnosis was based on the gross and histological findings, with confirmation following histochemistry and immunohistochemistry.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24193142/