ABSTRACT
A 7-week-old male pig was presented with signs of a central nervous system disorder. An MRI of the head and cervical spine was performed immediately after euthanasia. The MRI revealed multifocal bilaterally symmetric T2-weighted hyperintense lesions in the brain and spinal cord, likely due to a toxic metabolic process. Histopathological examination supported the MRI findings and confirmed the diagnosis of edema disease due to Shiga-like toxin produced by Escherichia coli. This is the first case published of the MRI findings in an edema disease affected pig.
Subject(s)
Brain/diagnostic imaging , Cervical Cord/diagnostic imaging , Edema/veterinary , Escherichia coli Infections/veterinary , Magnetic Resonance Imaging/veterinary , Swine Diseases/diagnostic imaging , Animals , Brain/microbiology , Brain/pathology , Cervical Cord/microbiology , Cervical Cord/pathology , Diagnosis, Differential , Edema/diagnostic imaging , Edema/microbiology , Edema/pathology , Escherichia coli Infections/diagnostic imaging , Escherichia coli Infections/microbiology , Escherichia coli Infections/pathology , Male , Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli/isolation & purification , Sus scrofa , Swine , Swine Diseases/microbiology , Swine Diseases/pathologySubject(s)
Cervical Cord/microbiology , Coccidioides , Coccidioidomycosis/complications , Quadriplegia/microbiology , Spinal Cord Neoplasms/complications , Adult , Cervical Cord/diagnostic imaging , Coccidioidomycosis/microbiology , Humans , Male , Quadriplegia/diagnostic imaging , Spinal Cord Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Spinal Cord Neoplasms/microbiologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Cluster headache (CH) is characterized by attacks of severe periorbital pain associated with autonomic symptoms. As with other forms of primary headache, structural lesions should be excluded, particularly if the headache presents with an atypical pattern. CASE: We report a 41-year-old woman who had no previous history of primary headache and showed a poor response to medication for CH. The patient was finally diagnosed as secondary headache with CH feature due to focal myelitis at the cervical level of the spinal cord. A strong positive Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay test for Toxocara canis antibodies helped us to make a diagnosis of cervical Toxocara myelitis. After starting treatment with intravenous methylprednisolone and albendazole, her headache gradually improved with abortive and preventive treatment for CH. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that neuroimaging of the upper cervical cord as well as the brain is important when CH is showing an atypical clinical course. Cervical Toxocara myelitis might be a possible cause of secondary headache with CH feature.
