Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with brain tumor and high eosinophils in spinal fluid
By Corsini, Giulia et al.·Published in Veterinary clinical pathology·2023·Department of Neurology, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Persistent marked cerebrospinal fluid eosinophilia in a dog with primary central nervous system histiocytic sarcoma.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 6-year-old female spayed Jack Russell Terrier was brought in for seizure-like episodes and periods of confusion over the past three weeks. An MRI showed some swelling in her brain, and tests of her cerebrospinal fluid revealed a high number of eosinophils, which are a type of white blood cell. Initially, she improved with a steroid treatment called prednisolone, but her condition worsened over the next five months. Sadly, despite further testing showing more brain lesions, her symptoms continued to progress, and she was euthanized. A post-mortem exam confirmed she had a type of cancer called histiocytic sarcoma in her brain.
People also search for: dog seizures treatment · Jack Russell Terrier brain cancer · eosinophilic meningoencephalitis in dogs
Abstract
A 6-year-old female spayed Jack Russell Terrier was evaluated for episodic seizure-like activity and intermittent obtundation over the previous 3 weeks. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain revealed mild generalized dilation of the ventricular system with periventricular edema. A focal area of mildly increased lepto- and pachymeningeal contrast uptake in the region of the right parietal and occipital lobes was observed. Analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) revealed marked mixed pleocytosis with 20% eosinophils and no atypical cells or microorganisms. The dog transiently improved with prednisolone for suspected eosinophilic meningoencephalitis/meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown origin (MUO) but worsened over the following 5 months. Brain MRI and CSF sampling were repeated. Additional multifocal lesions were evident in the brainstem and cerebellum. On CSF analysis, the eosinophilic pleocytosis and increased total protein persisted. The clinical signs progressed despite treatment, and the patient was euthanized 6 weeks later. A post-mortem examination was performed. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry revealed a multifocal neoplastic proliferation of cells in the brain, diffusely and strongly positive for ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule (Iba-1) and negative for AE1/AE3 pan-cytokeratin and glial-fibrillar-acid-protein (GFAP) immunostaining, consistent with a diagnosis of histiocytic sarcoma (HS). No other organic lesions were found; therefore, the neoplasm was considered a primary HS of the central nervous system (CNS). This case report stresses the importance of considering primary CNS HS in the differential diagnosis of dogs with marked CSF eosinophilia, even in the absence of atypical cells on cytologic examination.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36504314/