Neurologic manifestations of trypanosomiasis in a dog

A 13-month-old Doberman Pinscher was evaluated because of slowly progressive paraparesis and signs of depression. The dog had temporal, supraspinatus, and infraspinatus muscle atrophy, bilateral enophthalmos, superficial inguinal lymphadenopathy, tachycardia with pulse deficits, and lesions of active and inactive chorioretinitis. Neurologic abnormalities included hyperreflexic patellar reflexes, lack of conscious proprioception, signs of superficial pain in the hind limbs, and depressed hopping reflexes in the forelimbs. Cranial nerve abnormalities included decreased sensation in the left nostril and a delayed gag reflex. Results of cerebrospinal fluid analysis were characteristic of nonsuppurative inflammation. A diagnosis of multifocal neurologic disease was made. The dog did not have serum titers for fungal diseases, canine distemper, Ehrlichia canis infection, borreliosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, or toxoplasmosis. The dog did not respond to various antimicrobial treatments, and only slightly responded to corticosteroid treatment. The dog died during an anesthetic procedure. The postmortem diagnosis of Trypanosoma cruzi infection (canine Chagas disease) was made on identification of the amastigote form of the organism in sections of brain, spinal cord, and myocardium.