title: Radiculomeningomyelitis due to Halicephalobus gingivalis in a horse.
abstract: An adult horse was euthanatized following a clinical diagnosis of cauda equina neuritis. Significant gross postmortem and histopathologic findings were limited to the sacral spinal cord and cauda equina. The sacral spinal cord, meninges, and spinal nerve roots were expanded and partially effaced by sclerosing granulomatous inflammation with necrosis. The lesion contained numerous nematode larvae and fewer adults with a rhabditiform esophagus having a corpus, isthmus, and valved bulb. Female nematodes were amphidelphic and didelphic with reflexed ovaries. These morphologic features confirm Halicephalobus gingivalis as a novel cause of clinical signs in this case of cauda equina neuritis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins 80523-1671, USA.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Hibler
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Tillotson
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Mason
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002420:Cauda Equina; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D006736:Horses; D008297:Male; D009443:Neuritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D017168:Rhabditida / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017196:Rhabditida Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology