Student Case Presentation
Cerebrospinal Nematodiasis Presenting as Dextroscoliosis in a Mixed Breed Goat
| Date/Time: |
8/27/2026 Poster 02
|
| Presenter: |
Mackenzie Moody |
| Veterinary School: |
TN |
Abstract:
Cerebrospinal nematodiasis (“Meningeal worm”) is a clinically recognized condition of ruminants in the eastern United States. Animals with this condition will experience neurologic effects as the larvae migrate through the central nervous system. An 8-month-old Alpine-Nubian cross doe was presented to the University of Tennessee Large Animal Hospital for acute dextroscoliosis of the thoracolumbar spine. The deviation was recognized 2 weeks prior, with additional limb deformities developing over time. With a suspicion of Paralaphastrongylus tenuis infection, cerebrospinal fluid was collected which revealed an eosinophilic pleocytosis, consistent with a P. tenuis diagnosis. Computed tomography confirmed dextroscoliosis of the thoracolumbar spine with no additional skeletal abnormalities noted. Although P. tenuis is a widely recognized condition, the presence of scoliosis has yet to be reported as a clinical manifestation in goats. Abnormal spinal deviations as a clinical sign of cerebrospinal nematodiasis have been previously described in horses and South American camelids, but not to the authors’ knowledge in goats. Clinicians should consider P. tenuis when evaluating goats with spinal deviations such as scoliosis.
