Spinal epidural empyema in a dog as a suspected consequence of a post-neutering infection

犬脊髓硬膜外膿腫，疑似絕育后感染所致

Emma Deards,?Ewelina Korzybska,?Simon Platt,?Anna Tauro

First published: 08 September 2022?

https://doi.org/10.1002/vrc2.486

Abstract 摘要

An 8-month-old, male German shepherd dog presented for acute collapse following orchiectomy. Pyrexia, scrotal inflammation and purulent discharge from the surgical incision were found and medical therapy including antimicrobials was initiated for suspected septic shock. The dog was referred 2?days later paraplegic with absent nociception. Blood work revealed neutrophilia. Magnetic resonance imaging supported a presumptive diagnosis of C7–T2 spinal epidural empyema, while computed tomography imaging showed signs associated with scrotal inflammation with multifocal lymphadenopathies and splenic lymphoid hyperplasia. Histopathology of the epidural material obtained through decompressive surgery revealed a neutrophilic to pyogranulomatous inflammation. Blood, urine and epidural material cultures were negative. The dog failed to improve and was euthanased. This study suggests that spinal epidural empyema could result from routine procedures. Prompt recognition of specific constellation of clinical signs (i.e., pyrexia and spinal pain) and biochemical abnormalities (i.e., neutrophilia) as a neurological emergency and appropriate intervention may alter prognosis.

一例8個月齡大的雄性德國牧羊犬在睪丸切除術(shù)后出現(xiàn)急性衰竭。發(fā)現(xiàn)發(fā)熱、陰囊炎癥和手術(shù)切口膿性分泌物，并對疑似感染性休克開始藥物治療，包括抗菌藥物。2天后，該犬被轉(zhuǎn)診，主要原因是雙后肢麻痹且無痛覺。血液檢查顯示嗜中性粒細胞增多癥。磁共振成像支持C7-T2脊髓硬膜外膿腫的假設(shè)性診斷，而計算機斷層成像顯示存在與陰囊炎癥伴多灶性淋巴結(jié)病和脾臟淋巴樣增生相關(guān)的征象。通過減壓手術(shù)獲得的硬膜外物質(zhì)的組織病理學(xué)顯示嗜中性粒細胞到膿肉芽腫性炎癥。血、尿、硬膜外物質(zhì)培養(yǎng)均為陰性。這例犬沒有好轉(zhuǎn)，被安樂了。本研究提示脊髓硬膜外膿腫可能由常規(guī)手術(shù)引起。及時識別特定的臨床癥狀(如發(fā)熱和脊柱疼痛)和生化異常(如嗜中性粒細胞增多癥)作為神經(jīng)急癥，并采取適當(dāng)?shù)母深A(yù)措施可能會改變預(yù)后。

CONFLICT OF INTEREST 利益沖突

The authors declare they have no conflicts of interest.

作者聲明他們沒有利益沖突。

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