Successful treatment of cervical spinal epidural empyema secondary to grass awn migration in a cat.
Spinal epidural empyema (SEE) represents a severe pyogenic infection of the epidural space. Clinical signs of the disease are non-specific--increased body temperature, intense neck pain, neurological signs of a transverse myelopathy--and can lead to severe and permanent neurological deficits. This report describes the diagnosis and successful surgical treatment of cervical SEE secondary to grass awn migration in a cat. Although it is uncommon, this disease should be suspected in cats with progressive myelopathy. Early diagnosis and emergency surgery combined with antibiotic therapy are required to allow a complete recovery.
Granger
Nicolas
N
Neurology Unit, National Veterinary School of Alfort, France. ng311@cam.ac.uk
Hidalgo
Antoine
A
Leperlier
Dimitri
D
Gnirs
Kirsten
K
Thibaud
Jean-Laurent
JL
Delisle
Françoise
F
Blot
Stéphane
S
D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002415:Cats; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004653:Empyema / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D020802:Epidural Abscess / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D005548:Foreign-Body Migration / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D010326:Pasteurella Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016979:Pasteurella multocida / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000662:veterinary