Noncontiguous Multifocal Spondylodiscitis in 3 Regions of the Spine.

Spondylodiscitis is an uncommon infectious disease of the spine, usually presenting in 1 or 2 contiguous levels, associated with risk factors such as diabetes, intravenous drugs, corticosteroids, and invasive procedures. The most common presentation is pain with nonspecific systemic manifestations. Diagnosis relies on clinical suspicion, laboratories, and imaging studies. Urgent treatment is important due to the high morbid mortality associated with sepsis or a fulminant disease course. We report the case of a 39-year-old female diagnosed with noncontiguous multifocal spondylodiscitis, in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. The patient initially presented with back pain, inability to walk and severe neurological deficit in the upper and lower extremities, upon diagnosis broad-spectrum antibiotics were initiated. A staged surgical approach was performed in the 3 spine segments. During the 6 month follow-up, the patient presented walking with assistance, with the recovery of strength in the upper and lower extremities.

Radiographic Reference Values for the Cardiac Silhouette in Bonelli's Eagle (Aquila fasciata).

Radiographs are an important diagnostic tool available in wildlife hospitals to evaluate the size of the avian heart. Despite the large variety wild birds in the Iberian peninsula, clinical studies addressing these species are lacking. To establish reference values for cardiac size in the Bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasciata), ventrodorsal radiographs of 20 healthy birds were obtained, and the width of the cardiac silhouette, sternum, thorax, coracoid, and hepatic silhouette were measured. The ratios between cardiac width and other mentioned indices were calculated. Results showed that cardiac silhouette width should occupy 81%-93% of sternal width, 48%-57% of thoracic width, and 506%-673% of coracoid width. The cardiac silhouette width was strongly correlated with sternal and thoracic widths. A moderate correlation was found between the width of the heart and the width of the coracoid. No significant correlation was found between width of the cardiac silhouette and the hepatic silhouette. These results support that sternal and thoracic widths should be used preferentially when evaluating the width of the cardiac silhouette in this species. The values obtained in this study can be used as a reference for normal cardiac size when evaluating radiographs of Bonelli's eagles.

Trichomonas gypaetinii n. sp., a new trichomonad from the upper gastrointestinal tract of scavenging birds of prey.

In the context of an epidemiological study carried out by several wildlife recovery centers in Spain, trichomonads resembling Trichomonas gallinae were found in the oropharyngeal cavity of 2 Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus) and 14 cinereous vultures (Aegypius monachus) which did not show any symptoms of trichomonosis. In order to characterize them, these isolates along with seven other T. gallinae isolates obtained from different hosts and from different geographical origin were analyzed. Genetic analyses were performed by sequencing the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU-rRNA) and the internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2) and the 5.8S rRNA regions. The morphological study of the isolates in both light and scanning electron microscopy was also performed. The sequences obtained in the genetic analysis coincide with previously published sequences of an isolate named as Trichomonas sp., obtained from a bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), and showed clear differences to the T. gallinae sequences (97 and 90-91% homology, respectively, for SSU-rRNA and ITS regions) and display higher similarity with Trichomonas vaginalis and Trichomonas stableri than with T. gallinae. Multivariate statistical analysis of the morphometric study also reveals significant differences between the trichomonads of vultures and the isolates of T. gallinae. The isolates from vultures presented smaller values for each variable except for the length of axostyle projection, which was higher. These results together with the different nature of their hosts suggest the possibility of a new species of trichomonad which we hereby name Trichomonas gypaetinii, whose main host are birds of the subfamily Gypaetinae.