Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Screening tests used to find triggers in steroid-responsive
By Rose, J H & Harcourt-Brown, T R·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2013·Langford Small Animal Hospital, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Screening diagnostics to identify triggers in 21 cases of steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 21 dogs with steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis (an inflammatory condition affecting the brain and spinal cord) underwent various tests to find out what might be causing their symptoms. The tests included blood counts, urine analysis, and imaging, but none of them identified any infectious or cancer-related triggers. While the dogs showed some changes in their blood and biochemistry, these did not point to a specific cause. Despite the lack of identifiable triggers, the dogs responded well to steroid treatment, which helped manage their condition effectively.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether screening tests used to identify infectious and neoplastic triggers for immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia, in particular a complete blood count and differential, serum biochemistry profile, urine analysis (including culture), abdominal ultrasound and thoracic radiographs, can identify triggers for steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis. METHODS: Retrospective descriptive review. RESULTS: Twenty-one steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis cases were identified in which all screening tests had been performed. All cases had changes in complete blood count (including neutrophilia, monocytosis, lymphocytosis, eosinopenia or anaemia); 19 had changes in biochemistry (including hypoalbuminaemia, hyperglobulinaemia, increased alkaline phosphatase activity, hyperphosphataemia, increased total calcium concentration, hypercholesterolaemia, hyperkalaemia, increased urea concentration and increased alanine aminotransferase activity); two cases had an elevated urine protein to creatinine ratio but none had positive urine culture results; no cases had abnormalities on orthogonal radiographs of the thorax; four cases had abnormalities identified on abdominal ultrasound, which following cytological examination suggested inflammation in the absence of pathological organisms. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Screening tests used to identify infectious and neoplastic triggers in immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia did not isolate triggers for steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis in the population of dogs under investigation.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24580013/