Bacterial Meningoencephalomyelitis in Dogs: A Retrospective Study of 23 Cases (1990–1999)

Abstract

The clinical records of 23 dogs (1990-1999) with histopathologically confirmed bacterial meningoencephalomyelitis were evaluated retrospectively. No breed, age, sex, or weight predisposition was found. All the dogs presented with clinical signs of a brain lesion, whereas 5 of 23 had neck pain. Pyrexia was detected in 11 of 23 dogs on admission. CBCs revealed neutrophilic leucocytosis in 7 of 21 dogs and thrombocytopenia in 3 of 21 dogs. The serum chemistry profiles were abnormal in 15 of 21 dogs. The results of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis were abnormal in 13 of 14 dogs and aerobic CSF culture was positive for bacteria in 1of 8 samples. At postmortem examination, the lesions were localized to the central nervous system. Escherichia coli, Streptococcus, and Klebsiella spp were the most frequently isolated bacteria from cultures collected at postmortem examination. Twelve papers reporting 51 total clinical cases of canine bacterial meningoencephalomyelitis were reviewed. The clinical signs and results of the CBC, serum chemistry, blood culture, and CSF analysis were collated and compared with those of this study. The results of the CSF analysis in this study were similar to those in the literature. CSF cultures documented in the literature were positive for Staphylococcus, Pasteurella. Actinomyces, Nocardia spp, and various anaerobic species including Peptostreptococcus, Eubacterium, and Bacteroides spp.

Perspectives on Meningoencephalomyelitis of Unknown Origin

“…99 Microbial culture of CSF has low yield, and culture of blood and urine may also be considered in cases of suspected bacterial infection. 137 More usefully, CSF, serum, or both can conveniently be analyzed for antibodies to infectious diseases, most notably Neospora caninum, Ehrlichia spp, Anaplasma spp, Rickettsia rickettsia, and Coccidioides immitis, although prevalent diseases vary with global location. Infection by Cryptococcus spp is usually detected by antigen testing, and other microbial DNA or RNA can also be detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays, which have high sensitivity and specificity.…”

Brain Abscess in Seven Cats Due to a Bite Wound: MRI Findings, Surgical Management and Outcome

“…Furthermore, CSF evaluation may be of little value in excluding an abscess from the differential diagnosis list as cultures are often negative in the face of bacterial infection of the CNS, and CSF analysis is rarely specific for bacterial abscesses. 23,24 Antibiotics All patients were started on broad-spectrum antibiotics while awaiting the results of culture of swab material and fluid collected from the abscess during surgery. Positive cultures were obtained in three out of four cats for P multocida, E coli and Corynebacterium species, reflecting the most common bacteria found in a cat's mouth.…”

The Central Nervous System

“…(Radaelli and Platt, 2002). Several factors likely contribute to poor culture performance in veterinary medicine -e.g., small volumes of CSF are collected for culture, the organisms are mostly confi ned to the brain parenchyma, some organisms are slow growing or require nonstandard culture techniques, and animal has received antibiotic therapy before sampling (Fenner, 1998).…”