Long-term survival in a XXXX with meningoencephalitis and epidural abscessation due to Actinomyces species.

@entity1 @entity697 @entity235 @entity228 @entity2348 @entity693 @entity3468 @entity158 @entity7181 @entity346 @entity2055 @entity479
A 2-year-old, female spayed Golden Retriever @entity235 was presented to The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center for evaluation of @entity2055 , @entity158 , 1 episode of @entity697 , dull mentation, and inappetence. Physical examination revealed an elevated temperature of 39.7  C and severe @entity158 . Blood work revealed a mature neutrophilia. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis revealed nondegenerative neutrophilic pleocytosis with no infectious agents. A presumptive diagnosis of @entity479 -responsive @entity693 - @entity3468 was made, and @entity228 therapy was started. The @entity1 improved initially but experienced a vestibular episode characterized by falling and @entity346 . A magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed an @entity7181 in the cervical vertebral canal and diffuse meningeal enhancement in the brain and cranial cervical spine. Abscess drainage revealed degenerate neutrophils and several filamentous, branching organisms. Culture of the initial CSF using an enrichment broth revealed growth of a Gram-positive organism 5 days after fluid collection. The isolate was identified by partial 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing as Actinomyces spp. The @entity1 was successfully treated with long-term antibiotics. Our study reports the long-term survival after medical treatment of @entity2348 and epidural abscessation due to Actinomyces sp. infection in a @entity235 . @entity2348 should be included as a differential diagnosis in @entity1 with cervical @entity158 , even when a nondegenerative neutrophilic pleocytosis is found on CSF analysis. Culture of the CSF with use of an enrichment broth should be considered in all cases of neutrophilic pleocytosis to rule out infections of the central nervous system.
