Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Surgical Repair of an Occipital Meningocele in a Foal.
- Journal:
- Journal of equine veterinary science
- Year:
- 2019
- Authors:
- Alonso, Juliana de M et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Surgery and Anesthesiology · Brazil
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 1-day-old male Quarter Horse was born with a noticeable lump at the back of his head, which was diagnosed as a meningocele, a condition where the protective membranes around the brain protrude through a defect. He had surgery to close the defect and initially seemed to be recovering well, but then developed signs of infection. After changing his antibiotics, he showed some improvement, but later experienced trouble standing and other neurological issues. Despite further treatment, he did not get better and was euthanized the day after his surgery. A postmortem examination confirmed he had bacterial encephalitis, caused by a resistant strain of E. coli, highlighting that while surgery for this condition is possible, infections can complicate recovery significantly.
Abstract
There are no previous reports of cranial meningocele in horses. In this report, we present the case of a 1-day-old male Quarter Horse that was born with a mass in the occipital region. The newborn was brought to the veterinary hospital, and a meningocele was diagnosed. The patient then underwent surgical closure of the defect. After an initial favorable response, the patient displayed signs of infection. The antibiotic therapy was changed, and the patient's condition improved. On the 13th postoperative day, the patient exhibited ataxia, difficulty standing, and limb hypertonia. Hydrocephalus was suspected, and a cerebrospinal puncture was performed. Because of the lack of improvement after the puncture and the high turbidity of the obtained fluid, bacterial encephalitis was suspected and antibiotic therapy restarted. The patient was euthanized on the 14th postoperative day when no response to therapy was observed. Postmortem tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed dilation of the encephalic ventricles with the presence of gas. On necropsy, bacterial encephalitis was confirmed, and multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli was isolated. This case suggests that surgical treatment of meningocele in horses is feasible; however, infectious complications may limit the long-term therapeutic success.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31668304/