POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY FEATURES OF CANINE NECROTIZING MENINGOENCEPHALITIS

• Published in: Veterinary radiology & ultrasound Vol. 49; no. 6; pp. 595 - 599
• Main Authors: EOM, KI-DONG, LIM, CHAE-YOUNG, GU, SU-HYUN, KANG, BYEONG-TECK, KIM, YOUNG-BO, JANG, DONG-PYO, WOO, EUNG-JE, KIM, DAEYOUNG, CHO, ZANG-HEE, PARK, HEE-MYUNG
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Malden, USA : Blackwell Publishing Inc 01.11.2008; Blackwell Publishing Inc
• Subjects: Animals; Brain - diagnostic imaging; Brain - pathology; case studies; dog; Dog Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Dog Diseases - pathology; Dogs; Epilepsy, Tonic-Clonic - diagnostic imaging; Epilepsy, Tonic-Clonic - pathology; Epilepsy, Tonic-Clonic - veterinary; Fatal Outcome; fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography; magnetic resonance imaging; meningoencephalitis; Meningoencephalitis - diagnostic imaging; Meningoencephalitis - pathology; Meningoencephalitis - veterinary; necrotizing meningoencephalitis; Positron-Emission Tomography - methods; Positron-Emission Tomography - veterinary; tomography
• ISSN: 1058-8183; 1740-8261
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1740-8261.2008.00437.x

A Yorkshire terrier and a Chihuahua were referred for acute onset, generalized tonic-clonic seizures and were suspected to have meningoencephalitis based on magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings. Brain lesions appeared hyperintense with T2-weighted imaging and hypointense with T1-weighted imaging, and were characteristic of necrotizing meningoencephalitis. Both dogs were diagnosed with necrotizing meningoencephalitis based on pathologic findings. Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) was performed on both animals before euthanasia with the permission of the owner. In FDG-PET images, these lesions seen in MR images were characterized by multifocal or diffuse hypometabolism. Our FDG-PET results provided evidence of glucose hypometabolism in areas of necrosis and cavitation associated with necrotizing meningoencephalitis. FDG-PET has the potential to provide valuable diagnostic information in dogs with suspected necrotizing encephalitis.