Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Survival times with immunosuppressants in dogs with unknown brain
By Kim, So-Hee et al.·Published in BMC veterinary research·2023·Department of Veterinary Clinical Science, South Korea·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Retrospective evaluation of prognosis and survival with various immunosuppressants in 82 dogs diagnosed with meningoencephalitis of unknown etiology (2010-2021).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old Beagle was diagnosed with meningoencephalitis of unknown etiology, a serious condition where the brain becomes inflamed due to the immune system attacking it. The dog was treated with various immunosuppressants, and the results showed that those on leflunomide had the longest survival time, averaging over 1,000 days. While leflunomide was effective, some dogs experienced moderate to severe anemia as a side effect. Overall, leflunomide appeared to provide a good response for dogs with this condition, but more research is needed to confirm these findings.
People also search for: dog brain inflammation treatment · meningoencephalitis in dogs · leflunomide for dogs · dog autoimmune disease survival rate
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown etiology (MUE) is a comprehensive term for non-infectious inflammatory brain diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) caused by abnormal autoimmune responses. This study aims to compare the differences in survival and clinical response of MUE according to the adjuvant immunosuppressant use. Medical records of 82 dogs diagnosed with MUE were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: The overall survival time was 769 days (range 14-2687 days). The median survival time for each adjunctive was: leflunomide 1035 days (range 126-2163 days), mycophenolate mofetil 865 days (range 39-2191 days), cyclosporin 441 days (range 11-2176 days), cytosine arabinoside 754 days (range 6-1898 days) and a combination of mycophenolate mofetil and cytosine arabinoside 132 days (range 23-1227 days). There was no significant difference in the incidence rate of adverse events according to the immunosuppressants, but moderate to severe anemia was confirmed in 3 patients (18.7%) in the leflunomide group. CONCLUSIONS: The survival time and response rate of MUE dogs differed depending on which adjunctive immunosuppressants were used. Leflunomide showed a long survival time and a relatively good response rate in dogs with MUE. However, a large-scale further study with standardized doses of immunosuppressants and supportive treatment and constant monitoring interval is needed.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38087262/