Optic neuritis and meningoencephalitis associated with an ovarian teratoma in a dog.

Ovarian teratomas can cause paraneoplastic optic neuritis; consider abdominal imaging in dogs with unexplained neurological disease.

This case report describes a 3-year-old intact female Pit Bull Terrier mix presenting with acute bilateral vision loss secondary to optic neuritis. Diagnostic workup revealed multifocal brain lesions on MRI affecting the optic nerves and cortical gray matter, with cerebrospinal fluid analysis showing mixed pleocytosis. Abdominal ultrasonography identified a cystic ovarian mass, subsequently confirmed as a teratoma on histopathology. Notably, neural tissue within the teratoma demonstrated perivascular lymphocytic cuffing, suggesting a paraneoplastic mechanism. Following ovariohysterectomy and 40 days of corticosteroid therapy, cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis resolved. Vision was preserved in the left eye but remained impaired in the right eye. At three-year follow-up, the dog maintained good quality of life without neurological relapse or clinical deterioration. This case presents a rare paraneoplastic neurological syndrome associated with ovarian teratoma in canines, highlighting the importance of abdominal imaging in dogs with unexplained neurological signs.

This summary was distilled by AI and may occasionally misinterpret data. Confirm critical details with the primary literature before clinical application.