NECROTIZING MENINGOENCEPHALITIS OF MALTESE DOGS

The clinical and pathologic features of five young Maltese dogs with a necrotizing meningoencephalitis were studied and compared with publis hed reports of the necrotizing meningoencephalitis of Pug dogs. The ag es of the Maltese dogs ranged from 9 months to 4 years. Four dogs were male, and one was female. The dogs had a history of seizures with or without other neurologic signs for 3 days to 20 weeks prior to death. Cerebrospinal fluid examination in three dogs revealed a pleocytosis a nd elevated levels of protein. At necropsy, the cerebrum was asymmetri cally swollen in four dogs, with a loss of distinction between the gra y and white matter and mild to moderate asymmetrical dilation of the l ateral ventricles. Histologically, there was extensive necrosis and no nsuppurative inflammation of the cerebral gray and white matter, overl ying meninges, and adjacent thalamus and hippocampus. The 4-year-old d og had the longest duration of clinical signs and had little inflammat ion but extensive atrophy of affected areas, with astrocytosis. The cl inical course and pathologic changes in these Maltese dogs are indisti nguishable from those in reported cases of necrotizing meningoencephal itis of Pug dogs, indicating that this lesion is probably not unique t o Pug dogs.