Cerebrospinal fluid analysis in 58 ruminants showing neurological disorders

Abstract

Ruminants may be affected by a wide variety of central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis forms the basis for ante mortem diagnostic evaluation of ruminants with clinical signs involving the CNS. Despite its importance as a tool to aid diagnosis, data regarding CSF examinations in spontaneous cases of CNS diseases in ruminants from Brazil are limited, and most reports involve experimental studies. Therefore, this study aimed to report the results of CSF analysis in 58 ruminants showing signs of neurological disorders. CSF samples for analysis were obtained from 32 cattle, 20 sheep, and 6 goats by cerebello-medullary cistern (n=54) or lumbosacral space (n=4) puncture. These ruminants showed neurological signs related to viral (n=13), mycotic (n=3), or bacterial (n=15) infections, and toxic (n=21), traumatic (n=4), or congenital disorders (n=2). CSF analysis from ruminants with viral infections presented lymphocytic pleocytosis, even though CSF showed no changes in several cases of rabies. Neutrophilic pleocytosis, cloudiness, presence of fibrin clots, and abnormal coloration were evident in the CSF of most cases of CNS bacterial infection, such as meningoencephalitis, meningitis, abscesses, myelitis, and a case of conidiobolomycosis. On the other hand, CSF was unchanged in most cases of toxic disorders, as botulism and hepatic encephalopathy. Elevated CSF density was observed in 60% of ruminants diagnosed with polioencephalomalacia. Our findings show that evaluation of CSF is a valuable diagnostic tool when used in association with epidemiological, clinical and pathological findings for diagnosis of CNS diseases in ruminants.

Assessment of cerebrospinal fluid analysis and short‐term survival outcomes in South American camelids: A retrospective study of 54 cases (2005‐2021)

“…Multiple disease processes can produce similar findings on CSF analysis. In 1 study of CSF findings associated with different diseases in ruminants, a mononuclear pleocytosis was observed in animals that were definitively diagnosed with a variety of different conditions, including listeriosis, rabies, polioencephalomalacia, and bovine herpesvirus 5 8 . In our study, 46.3% (25/54) of included camelids were presumptively or definitively diagnosed with diseases other than P. tenuis infestation, including bacterial meningomyelitis and listeriosis.…”

“…However, published reports on the use of CSF analysis to diagnose disease and provide a prognosis in camelids are limited compared to other species. Based on research in other species, it is likely that detection of characteristic abnormalities on CSF analysis in llamas and alpacas is a sensitive and specific method of antemortem diagnosis of neurologic diseases 6,7,8 . The severity of changes noted on CSF analysis could be used as a prognostic indicator to assess the severity of disease and the odds of survival or response to treatment in camelids with neurologic disease.…”

“…Based on research in other species, it is likely that detection of characteristic abnormalities on CSF analysis in llamas and alpacas is a sensitive and specific method of antemortem diagnosis of neurologic diseases. 6,7,8 The severity of changes noted on CSF analysis could be used as a prognostic indicator to assess the severity of disease and the odds of survival or response to treatment in camelids with neurologic disease. Because many neurologic diseases in these species carry a poor prognosis and may progress rapidly, early and accurate antemortem diagnosis and prognosis assessment play important roles in client decisionmaking and treatment planning and potentially could impact treatment efficacy.…”

Listeria monocytogenesat the interface between ruminants and humans: A comparative pathology and pathogenesis review

“…139,209,216 Perivascular cuffs and microabscesses tend to be more severe in small ruminants, in which a neutrophilic component of the latter predominates (Figs. 24,35), which is compatible with the more fulminant clinical course of the disease in these species. 209 Microabscesses containing predominantly macrophages are instead more common in cattle, in which multinucleated giant cells and perivascular eosinophils can be occasionally seen (Figs.…”

“…112,270 Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) features can be quite variable, showing either mononuclear or neutrophilic pleocytosis, and Lm isolation from CSF fails in up to 90% of cases. 35,229,269 Rhombencephalitis in non-ruminant species. In non-ruminant animals, the brainstem can be targeted in meningoencephalomyelitis during septicemia, 125,306 and rhombencephalitis without generalized brain involvement has only been reported in a cat 242 and a horse.…”