Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Clinical and MRI findings in three dogs with polycystic meningiomas.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association
- Year:
- 2012
- Authors:
- James, Fiona M K et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Clinical Studies · Canada
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Three dogs, including a spayed female Labrador retriever and two castrated male golden retrievers, were seen for long-lasting neurological issues that lasted between three to twenty-four weeks. They showed signs like seizures, circling, and changes in behavior. An MRI scan revealed unusual fluid-filled growths in their brains that were putting pressure on surrounding tissue. After surgery and further examination, the growths were confirmed to be polycystic meningiomas, a rare type of brain tumor. This finding is important because it helps veterinarians better understand and treat similar cases in the future.
Abstract
One spayed female Labrador retriever and two castrated male golden retrievers were evaluated for chronic (i.e., ranging from 3 wk to 24 wk) neurologic signs localizable to the prosencephalon. Signs included seizures, circling, and behavior changes. MRI demonstrated extra-axial, contrast-enhancing, multiloculated, fluid-filled, cyst-like lesions with a mass effect, causing compression and displacement of brain parenchyma. Differential diagnoses included cystic neoplasm, abscess or other infectious cyst (e.g., alveolar hydatid cyst), or fluid-filled anomaly (e.g., arachnoid cyst). The cyst-like lesions were attached to the rostral falx cerebri in all cases. In addition, case 2 had a second polycystic mass at the caudal diencephalon. Surgical biopsy (case 3 with a single, rostral tumor via transfrontal craniectomy) and postmortem histology (in cases 1 and 2) confirmed polycystic meningiomas. Tumor types were transitional (cases 1 and 3) and fibrous (case 2), with positive immunohistochemical staining for vimentin. Case 3 was also positive for E-cadherin, s100, and CD34. In all cases, staining was predominantly negative for glial fibrillary acid protein and pancytokeratins, supporting a diagnosis of meningioma. This report describes the first cases of polycystic meningiomas in dogs. Polycystic meningiomas are a rare, but important, addition to the differential diagnoses for intracranial cyst-like lesions, significantly affecting planning for surgical resection and other therapeutic interventions.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22843828/