Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Case Report: Meningoencephalomyelitis of Unknown Etiology Manifesting as a Bilateral Cranial Polyneuropathy in 3 Dogs.
- Journal:
- Frontiers in veterinary science
- Year:
- 2020
- Authors:
- Levitin, Hilary A et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine · United States
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Three medium to large breed dogs were diagnosed with a condition called meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown cause, which affected their cranial nerves and led to problems with balance and coordination. They all showed signs of progressive issues related to their central nervous system, and tests like MRI revealed swelling and changes in several important nerves in their heads. A spinal fluid test showed signs of inflammation in two of the dogs, while the third had a different type of inflammatory response. All three dogs were treated with medications to suppress their immune system, and while they improved, some nerve problems remained after two months. Overall, the treatment worked to help them, but not all issues were fully resolved.
Abstract
A bilateral cranial polyneuropathy was the primary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) finding in three medium to large breed dogs diagnosed with meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown etiology. All three dogs presented with a progressive history of vestibular ataxia with either central vestibular or multifocal central nervous system (CNS) neuroanatomical localization. Brain MRI revealed variable degree of bilateral enlargement and/or increased contrast enhancement of the optic, oculomotor, trigeminal, facial, and vestibulocochlear nerves, as well as enhancement of the orbital fissure (oculomotor, trochlear, ophthalmic branch of trigeminal, and abducens nerves). There was evidence of intracranial and cranial cervical meningeal contrast enhancement in all three dogs and of cervical spinal cord lesions in 2. In all cases, more cranial nerves were affected than indicated by neurological examination. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis was consistent with a mononuclear pleocytosis in 2 cases and a mixed cell (predominantly lymphocytic) pleocytosis in 1 case. All dogs were treated with immune suppressing medications and showed clinical improvement, although some cranial nerve deficits were persistent at follow up 2 months later. These are the first known cases of MUE diagnosed ante-mortem in a canine population documenting bilaterally symmetrical lesions affecting multiple cranial nerves. While MUE is a common cause of non-infectious inflammatory disease in dogs, it likely encompasses more classifications than have previously been reported, and should remain a differential for dogs of all ages and sizes presenting with cranial nerve deficits.
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/32596270/