Lumbar diskospondylitis and meningomyelitis caused by Escherichia coli in a cat

A 1-year-old male neutered domestic shorthair cat with pyrexia, anorexia, spinal neurologic dysfunction, and pain for more than a month had lumbar bacterial diskospondylitis and meningomyelitis. Despite broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy and supportive care, the cat died. Escherichia coli was cultured from cerebrospinal fluid and in disk material. Histologic sections of the affected lumbar spinal cord and disk showed meningomyelitis and diskospondylitis. Complete cerebrospinal fluid analysis including electrophoresis proved to be a valuable diagnostic tool, and showed increased leukocyte number with neutrophilia and monocytosis, and increased glucose, protein, albumin, and alpha and gamma globulin levels. The calculated albumin quota was very high. These changes confirm a bacterial infection.