{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]],"date-time":"2026-07-22T01:32:48Z","timestamp":1784683968481,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":22,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,1,3]],"date-time":"2022-01-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1641168000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Vet. Sci."],"abstract":"<jats:p>A 9-year-old, neutered male, domestic shorthair cat from Arizona, was presented for evaluation of a 7-day history of hind limb paraparesis that progressed to paraplegia. There was no history of respiratory abnormalities. Neurologic examination supported localization of a T3-L3 myelopathy. Computed tomography (CT) revealed an expansile widening of the spinal canal dorsal to L4 associated with a strongly contrast-enhancing mass. Moreover, CT series of the thorax revealed a diffuse miliary pulmonary pattern, as well as tracheobronchial, sternal, and cranial mediastinal lymphadenomegaly. Transthoracic lung lobe and sternal lymph node fine needle aspiration revealed pyogranulomatous inflammation with <jats:italic>Coccidioides<\/jats:italic> spp. spherules and endospores. A suspected diagnosis of spinal coccidioidomycosis was made; fluconazole (10.9 mg\/kg PO q12h) treatment was initiated, and decompressive neurosurgery was performed. The granuloma was removed en bloc and histopathology revealed marked, chronic-active, pyogranulomatous myelitis with intralesional <jats:italic>Coccidioides<\/jats:italic> spp. spherules with endosporulation. Serum anti-<jats:italic>Coccidioides<\/jats:italic> spp. antibody titer results revealed a negative IgM and a positive IgG (1:4). The cat was treated with fluconazole for 445 days and examined at various time points, with the last examination 2 years after initial presentation. The cat returned to full ambulation with only mild functional deficits of the right hind limb. In conclusion, this report documents the diagnosis, treatment, and long-term follow up of a cat with a compressive <jats:italic>Coccidioides<\/jats:italic> spp. spinal cord granuloma. This case highlights the importance of including coccidioidomycosis as a differential diagnosis for cats with peracute hindlimb paraplegia that have lived in or traveled to regions where <jats:italic>Coccidioides<\/jats:italic> spp. is endemic, and demonstrates the potential for a good long-term outcome with decompressive neurosurgery and antifungal therapy.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fvets.2021.801885","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,12,30]],"date-time":"2021-12-30T15:42:29Z","timestamp":1640878949000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Case Report: Successful Management of a Compressive Intraspinal Coccidioides Species Granuloma in a Cat"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"8","author":[{"given":"Hannah","family":"Dowdy","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jason 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