First molecular characterization of Sarcocystis neurona causing meningoencephalitis in a domestic cat in Brazil.

Sarcocystis neurona is the main agent associated with equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). Apart from horses, S. neurona has been occasionally described causing neurologic disease in several other terrestrial animals as well as mortality in marine mammals. Herein, we describe the clinical, pathological, and molecular findings of a fatal case of S. neurona-associated meningoencephalitis in a domestic cat. The causing agent was analyzed by multilocus genotyping, confirming the presence of S. neurona DNA in the tissue samples of the affected animal. Significant molecular differences were found in relation to S. neurona isolates detected in other regions of the Americas. In addition, the parasite was identical to Sarcocystis sp. identified in opossum sporocysts in Brazil at molecular level, which suggests that transmission of. S. neurona in Brazil might involve variants of the parasite different from those found elsewhere in the Americas. Studies including more samples of S. neurona would be required to test this hypothesis, as well as to assess the impact of this diversity.

Pedicle frozen autograft for limb sparing surgery in a dog with femoral osteosarcoma / Autoenxerto pedicular congelado para preservação do membro em um cão com osteossarcoma femoral

ABSTRACT: Osteosarcoma (OSA) is the most common bone tumor diagnosed in dogs and represents approximately 85% of canine skeletal tumors. The most commonly employed therapy is amputation of the limb followed by chemotherapy. However, preservation of the afflicted limb has been successful for patients with concomitant neurological or orthopedic conditions, which are contraindications to the complete amputation, or with owners reluctant to the possibility of amputation. For these reasons, the purpose of this study was to describe the technical procedures that allowed limb salvage through the use of pedicle frozen grafts in a dog with femoral OSA. Surgical procedures consisted of a femoral diaphyseal osteotomy with tearing of the soft tissues; thus, creating a bone pedicle that was frozen in liquid nitrogen according to the protocol outlined by TSUCHIYA et al. (2005). Limb function remained satisfactory for six months.

RESUMO: Dentre os tumores ósseos que acometem os cães, o osteossarcoma (OSA) é o mais frequentemente diagnosticado e representa 85% das neoplasias de origem esquelética. A terapêutica comumente indicada é a amputação do membro, seguida de quimioterapia. No entanto, a preservação do membro afetado tem sido realizada em pacientes com afecções neurológicas ou ortopédicas concomitantes, que contraindicam a amputação radical ou em caso de tutores relutantes em aceitar a amputação. Em razão disso, o objetivo do presente trabalho é descrever a técnica de preservação de membro através de pedículo congelado em nitrogênio líquido em um cão com osteossarcoma de fêmur. A técnica cirúrgica empregada consistiu na osteotomia diafisária do fêmur, com divulsão dos tecidos moles, criando assim o pedículo ósseo que foi congelado em nitrogênio líquido, seguindo o protocolo realizado por TSUCHIYA et al. (2005). O cão permaneceu com a função satisfatória do membro por um período de seis meses.