Esophageal spirocercosis with pulmonary egg deposition and secondary hypertrophic osteopathy in a dog from Costa Rica.

Spirocerca lupi is the etiologic agent of spirocercosis in canids from the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. A 1-year-old dog was presented with weight loss and diarrhea. Upon examination, thickened limbs, a mass in the lung's right middle lobe and an esophageal mass were found. The pulmonary mass aspirate revealed S. lupi eggs surrounded by a purulent infiltrate. Limb bone biopsies showed irregular mineralization and cartilaginous metaplasia. Treatment with doramectin resolved the initial clinical signs. However, regurgitation was reported 5 months later. Therefore, the dog received additional doramectin and later vomited a worm morphologically consistent with a S. lupi adult. Herein we report the esophageal migration of S. lupi with egg deposition to the lung parenchyma, accompanied by secondary hypertrophic osteopathy. This report highlights the presence of S. lupi in Costa Rica and the importance of including this parasite as a differential diagnosis when compatible signs are identified.

Naturally-occurring myopia and loss of cone function in a sheep model of achromatopsia.

Achromatopsia is an inherited retinal disease characterized by loss of cone photoreceptor function. Day blind CNGA3 mutant Improved Awassi sheep provide a large animal model for achromatopsia. This study measured refractive error and axial length parameters of the eye in this model and evaluated chromatic pupillary light reflex (cPLR) testing as a potential screening test for loss of cone function. Twenty-one CNGA3 mutant, Improved Awassi, 12 control Afec-Assaf and 12 control breed-matched wild-type (WT) Awassi sheep were examined using streak retinoscopy and B-mode ocular ultrasonography. Four CNGA3 mutant and four Afec-Assaf control sheep underwent cPLR testing. Statistical tests showed that day-blind sheep are significantly more myopic than both Afec-Assaf and WT Awassi controls. Day-blind sheep had significantly longer vitreous axial length compared to WT Awassi (1.43 ± 0.13 and 1.23 ± 0.06 cm, respectively, p < 0.0002) and no response to bright red light compared to both controls. Lack of response to bright red light is consistent with cone dysfunction, demonstrating that cPLR can be used to diagnose day blindness in sheep. Day-blind sheep were found to exhibit myopia and increased vitreous chamber depth, providing a naturally occurring large animal model of myopia.

DORSAL LAMINECTOMY TO RELIEVE SPINAL CORD COMPRESSION IN A CAPTIVE SYRIAN BEAR (URSUS ARCTOS SYRIACUS).

A 19-yr-old captive male Syrian bear ( Ursus arctos syriacus) presented with a right hind limb lameness that progressed to nonambulatory paraparesis over the course of 2 wk. When night enclosure confinement and a short course of glucocorticoids and antibiotics did not lead to improvement, radiographs were performed, followed by cerebrospinal fluid analysis and myelography, revealing a dynamic spinal cord compression at the level of T2-T3. Dorsal laminectomy of both T2 and T3 was performed to allow decompression. The bear recovered uneventfully with first sign of neurological improvement apparent at 10 days postoperatively. Following 6 mo of rehabilitation the bear was walking and using his hind limbs normally.

A new model for calculating the lumbar lordosis angle in early hominids and in the spine of the neanderthal from Kebara.

The debate over the posture of early hominids is longstanding, perhaps because the absence of a reliable method for reconstructing the lumbar lordosis angle (LA) in early hominid spines has made it difficult to determine whether their posture resembled or differed from that of modern humans. We have developed a new model for predicting the lordotic curvature of the lumbar spine of early hominids based on the relationship between the lordotic curvature and the orientation of the articular processes in the lumbar spines of living primates (modern humans and nonhuman primates). The orientation of the inferior articular processes explains 89% of the variation in lordotic curvature among living primates and, thus, should be a reliable predictor of the lumbar LA in disarticulated hominid spines. Based on this model, we calculated a LA of 25-26 degree angle for the Kebara 2 Neanderthal. The calculated value for Kebara 2 is below the normal range of lordosis for modern humans (30-79 degree angle).

Computed tomographic analysis of calvarial hyperostosis in captive lions.

Osseous malformations in the skull and cervical vertebrae of lions in captivity are believed to be caused by hypovitaminosis A. These often lead to severe neurologic abnormalities and may result in death. We describe the characterization of these abnormalities based on computed tomography (CT). CT images of two affected and three healthy lions were compared with define the normal anatomy of the skull and cervical vertebrae and provide information regarding the aforementioned osseous malformations. Because bone structure is influenced by various factors other than the aforementioned disease, all values were divided by the skull width that was not affected. The calculated ratios were compared and the most pronounced abnormalities in the affected lions were, narrowing of the foramen magnum, thickening of the tentorium osseus cerebelli and thickening of the dorsal arch of the atlas. CT is useful for detection of the calvarial abnormalities in lions and may be useful in further defining this syndrome.

Coinfection with multiple tick-borne and intestinal parasites in a 6-week-old dog.

Coinfection with Ehrlichia canis, Babesia canis, Hepatozoon canis, Isospora spp., Giardia spp., and Dipylidium caninum were detected in a 6-week-old dog. The effect of multi-pathogen infection was a fatal combination of gastrointestinal and hematologic abnormalities, including diarrhea, vomiting, anorexia, distended painful abdomen, intussusception, severe thrombocytopenia, anemia, and hypoproteinemia.

Spirocercosis-associated pyothorax in dogs.

The records of five dogs diagnosed with spirocercosis-associated pyothorax were retrospectively reviewed. On admission, the most common clinical findings were weakness, anorexia, depression, dyspnoea and fever. All dogs had typical oesophageal Spirocerca lupi granulomas. Contrast thoracic radiography revealed contrast material leakage from the oesophagus into the pleural cavity in two dogs only. All dogs were medically treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics, repeated chest tube drainage and thoracic lavage, and four of the dogs were treated with doramectin. One dog was euthanased due to a concurrent non-related disease at the owners request while the remaining four survived. S. lupi infection should be included in the differential diagnoses of canine pyothorax in endemic areas. Conservative medical management of pyothorax with antihelmintic medication was shown to be effective in the treatment of S. lupi-associated pyothorax.

Adoptive immunotherapy of prostate cancer bone lesions using redirected effector lymphocytes.

Prostate cancer is currently the most commonly diagnosed noncutaneous malignancy in American men. When metastatic, usually to the bone, the disease is no longer curable and is usually treated palliatively with androgen ablation. However, after conversion to androgen-independent disease, there is no effective therapy currently available. The "T body" approach, which uses genetically reprogrammed lymphocytes derived from the patient and expressing chimeric receptor genes, combines the effector functions of T lymphocytes and NK cells with the ability of antibodies to recognize predefined surface antigens with high specificity and in a non-MHC-restricted manner. We show here the therapeutic efficacy of human lymphocytes bearing erbB2-specific chimeric receptors on human prostate cancer BM lesions in a SCID mouse model after conditioning of the recipient to allow homing and persistent functioning of the adoptively transferred cells. Induction of stromal cell-derived factor-1 production within the BM using low-dose irradiation or cyclophosphamide combined with IL-2 administration enhanced the homing of systemically delivered T bodies, resulting in decreased tumor growth and prostate-specific antigen secretion, prolongation of survival, and even cure of the treated mice. These preclinical studies strongly support the idea that the T body approach has therapeutic potential in disseminated prostate cancer.

Comparison of simultaneous splenic sample PCR with blood sample PCR for diagnosis and treatment of experimental Ehrlichia canis infection.

This report presents evidence that dogs recover from acute canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (CME) after 16 days of doxycycline treatment (10 mg/kg of body weight every 24 h). Blood PCR was as valuable as splenic aspirate PCR for early diagnosis of acute CME. Splenic aspirate PCR was, however, superior to blood PCR for the evaluation of ehrlichial elimination.

Linear osteochondromatosis in a cat.

A domestic shorthair cat was presented with quadriparesis and lumbar hyperesthesia that progressed over 4 months. There were linear and amorphous radiopaque masses throughout the soft tissue surrounding the long bones, vertebral bodies, ribs, pelvis, and scapula. The diagnosis of osteochondromatosis was confirmed by histopathology. Unlike previously reported patients with osteochondromatosis, most of the calcified masses in this cat were not connected to the periosteum; some were linear and were arranged parallel to the long bones involved.