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A seven-year-old shar-pei dog was referred because of severe lumbosacral pain and faecal incontinence of 20 days' duration. Neurological examination was characterised by plegic tail, absence of perineal reflex, dilated anus, perineum and tail analgesia, and severe lumbosacral pain. The neurological clinical signs were suggestive of a selective lesion involving sacral and caudal spinal cord segments and/or related nerve roots. A magnetic resonance imaging of lumbosacral spine was performed and was suggestive of an intradural lesion. Primary or secondary neoplasia was considered as the most probable differential diagnosis. The dog was euthanased upon the owner's request. Histopathological examination confirmed the presence of an intradural-extramedullary neoplastic tissue enveloping intradural tract of spinal nerve roots. On the basis of histological and immunohistochemical findings, a diagnosis of well-differentiated choroid plexus papilloma was made. To the authors's knowledge, this is the first case of primary or metastatic spinal choroid plexus papilloma in dogs., (© 2013 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.)

A cat with a history of seizures and clinical suspicion of forebrain disorder underwent a brain magnetic resonance imaging. A space-occupying lesion was identified in the left temporal lobe. The mass was surgically removed, and cytological, histological and immunohistochemical examinations documented the presence of Toxoplasma gondii. A definitive diagnosis of an intracranial T gondii granuloma was made. The cat was treated with clindamycin and phenobarbital and the seizures did not recur. After 10 months, a second magnetic resonance imaging showed severe brain atrophy, but T gondii granuloma recurrence was not noted. Twenty-one months after surgery, the cat's condition deteriorated, and another magnetic resonance imaging showed a presumptive recurrence of T gondii granuloma. In cats, T gondii granuloma must be considered as a differential diagnosis even when only a single intracranial mass is present. Cytology and magnetic resonance imaging can be useful in making a definitive diagnosis and to follow the evolution of the lesion.

Diffuse cerebellar meningeal carcinomatosis secondary to haematogenous dissemination from an anaplastic solid mammary carcinoma was diagnosed in an old German shepherd dog suffering from seizures and rapidly progressing to stupor. A single computed tomography cerebellar scan identified an unusual homogeneous density area that was considered to be associated with a vascular disorder, in the absence of space-occupying lesions. At necropsy, nodular masses were observed in the mammary gland, lungs, tracheobronchial lymph nodes and adrenals. Cerebellar leptomeninges were affected by diffuse blood effusion. Histology showed a solid mammary tumour, characterised by anaplastic cells with a cytoplasmic keratin-positive and vimentin-negative immunoreaction. The tumour had spread to the lungs, tracheobronchial lymph nodes and adrenals. Cerebellar leptomeninges were diffusely infiltrated by the cytokeratin-positive neoplastic cells. Even though computed tomography scan gave no evidence of meningeal carcinomatosis, it was considered that a cerebellar vascular disorder might be present. This was subsequently confirmed by neuropathological investigation and seen to be associated with a cerebellar leptomeningeal carcinomatosis.