Case Report: Necrotizing Vasculitis in the Central Nervous Systems of Two Dogs

Abstract

Abstract. Two dogs with rapidly progressing paralysis had polyarteritis involving mediumsized to large arterioles and small arteries of the spinal meninges. Rupture of structurally weakened vessels caused massive hemorrhage with compression and infarction of the spinal cord. The cause of the vasculitis was not determined.There are few reports of spontaneously occurring disseminated necrotizing vasculitis involving the central nervous system of dogs [9, 201. Although it presumably is rare, its incidence and clinical significance have not been determined. We describe two dogs with severe neurologic disease resulting from necrotizing arteritis involving the spinal vasculature. Case HistoriesDog 1, a 10-month-old female Boxer, had been treated when 6 months old for demodicosis, which went into clinical remission. Three months later the dog developed a temperature of 41 O C and was treated for tonsillitis with penicillin, streptomycin, and antipyretics. Three weeks later, after apparent recovery, fever and tonsillitis recurred. Hematologic examination showed a mild leukocytosis and regenerative left shift. Despite therapy and tonsillectomy, the fever persisted. During the third succeeding week, the dog had pain in the region of the cervical and thoracic spine. She became paralyzed shortly thereafter and was killed and necropsied. Dog 2, a 4-month-old Labrador Retriever referred to in a previous paper [20], had fever, tonsillitis and enteritis and was treated for three days with no favorable response. On the third day a rapidly progressive hind limb paralysis developed, accompanied by increasing tonicity of the front limbs, mild opisthotonus and abdominal muscular spasms. The dog was killed and necropsied.

An Idiopathic Febrile Necrotizing Arteritis Syndrome in the Dog: Beagle Pain Syndrome,

“…These reports provide the most relevant information on cases with a close resemblance to what we have observed but a number of other reports on arteritis in the dog (3,(12)(13)(14)(16)(17)(18) and in humans (19,20) give valuable information in this subject area. An interesting report on necrotizing vasculitis complicating a toxicity study has been published (21).…”

Arterial lumbosacral spinal cord infarction in a 4-year-old post-parturient cow

“…Fibrocartilaginous embolism derived from the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc, the precise pathogenesis of which remains poorly understood, is an important risk factor for the development of spinal cord infarction or myelomalacia in several domestic or other animal species, such as the cat (Scott & O'Leary 1996;Mikszewski et al 2006), the dog (Cauzinille 2000), the pig (Haynes & Benson 1999), the horse (Fuentealba et al 1991), the bovine species (Landolfi et al 2004) and the lion (Ricci et al 2010). Other risk factors confirmed so far are limited to a small number, including necrotizing polyarteritis involving the leptomeniges of the spinal cord in dogs (Hoff & Vandevelde 1981), general anesthesia in a horse (Lerche et al 1993), an episode of hypotension associated with a surgical procedure in a monkey (Zeiss et al 2001) and aortic catheter implantation in a calf (Offinger et al 2011). In the present cow, neither fibrocartilaginous nor other emboli were demonstrated.…”

Spontaneous Extramural Coronary Arteritis in Dogs,

“…5.-Conspicuous adventitial infiltrates, scattered foci of muralinfiltration, slight separation of endothelium from inner elastic membrane, and focal dissolution of inner elastic membrane. H&E. x 100. described in reported syndromes ofspontaneous arteritis in young dogs (13)(14)(15)20,27,28,30). Whilẽ he findings noted in these syndromes may have meluded extramural coronary arteries as one of the sites affected, similar vascular lesions were also found to occur in scattered vessels throughout the organs of the affected animals.…”