title: Paraparesis as initial manifestation of a Prototheca zopfii infection in a dog.
abstract: A case of protothecosis causing non-ambulatory paraparesis in a dog without clinical evidence of disseminated infection is described. A five-year-old female Labrador retriever was referred with a 10-day history of progressive non-ambulatory paraparesis and lumbar pain as the only physical and neurological abnormalities. Lumbar myelography revealed severe extradural spinal cord compression extending from L4 to L7 vertebrae, and a right hemilaminectomy was performed. Surgical findings included an adherent whitish hard ill-defined mass. Cytology and biopsy results disclosed the presence of algae enclosed in a matrix of chronic inflammatory infiltrate. Culture confirmed the presence of Prototheca species. Neurological improvement occurred within a month, and the dog received antifungal treatment without evidence of clinical disseminated disease for 6 months, but died after a generalised tonic-clonic seizure. Post-mortem examination revealed multiple foci of inflammatory granulomatous infiltrate and algae-like structures in the brain, lumbar intumescence and cauda equina. Prototheca zopfii was identified using molecular biology methods.
authors: Hospital ARS Veterinaria, Cardedeu 3, 08023, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Font
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Mascort
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Márquez
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Esteban
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Sánchez
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Durall
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Pumarola
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Luján
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D007239:Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000662:veterinary*; D020335:Paraparesis / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011525:Prototheca