Severe haemoptysis associated with seizures in a dog

Abstract

CASE HISTORY: A 7-year-old, sterilised male German Shepherd dog was presented with a history of three episodes of severe haemoptysis and associated dyspnoea within a 3-week period. A generalised tonic-clonic seizure was witnessed preceding the third episode.

CLINICAL FINDINGS: Thoracic radiographs revealed a severe bilateral alveolar lung pattern of the caudodorsal lung fields; extension into the left cranial lung lobe was present but pulmonary vessels were within normal size limits. Frank blood was the only abnormality present at bronchoscopy. A coagulation profile, parasitological screening, thoracic and brain computed tomography (CT), and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytological analysis did not identify any abnormalities.

DIAGNOSIS: Haemoptysis due to either severe neurogenic pulmonary oedema or rupture of the pulmonary capillaries secondary to seizures was considered a possible diagnosis. The primary generalised seizures were attributed to late-onset idiopathic epilepsy diagnosed by exclusion of other causes.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This is the first known case report describing severe haemoptysis associated with seizures in a dog.

KEY WORDS:

• Lung
• pulmonary haemorrhage
• canine
• noncardiogenic pulmonary oedema
• neurogenic pulmonary oedema
• epilepsy

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the Diagnostic Imaging and Clinical Pathology Departments at MUVH for their support.