CLINICAL AND DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING FINDINGS IN A BENGAL TIGER (Panthera tigris tigris) WITH CRANIOCERVICAL ARTERY DISSECTION: A CASE REPORT

This study aims to examine different aspects of Craniocervical Artery Dissections, which resulted in the animal’s death following a sequence of pathological events. Following the physical damage to the female Siberian tiger neck due to the Agonistic behaviour of the male tiger, diagnostic tests such as complete medical examination, Time-of-Flight (TOF) MRA imaging and radiography, as well as sampling for clinical assessment, haematology, microbial culture, and antibiogram was performed, initial treatment was prescribed, and PCR was performed. Unfortunately, the Medical treatment measures were inadequate, and the animal died. Therefore, necropsy, histopathological examination, and immunohistochemistry staining were performed. The results of the microbiological study included the identification of Bergeyella zoohelcum for the first time in this animal species, as well as diagnostic findings; necropsy and histological examinations, including aneurysm, subarachnoid haemorrhage, and ischemic stroke, were provided as well as Horner’s intramural hematoma and rupture of the carotid arteries and internal jugular vein, which has never been described before. Whole-body trauma computed tomography with an adapted scanning protocol for the craniocervical vessels is a safe, fast, and feasible method for detecting vascular injuries. It allows prompt further treatment if necessary. This method could be a part of a broad screening protocol for craniocervical vessels in documented injuries of the head and neck and trauma mechanisms influencing the craniocervical region as well. Klinične in diagnostične slikovne ugotovitve pri bengalskem tigru (Panthera tigris tigris) z disekcijo kraniocervikalne arterije: Poročilo o primeru Izvleček: Namen te študije je bil preučiti različne vidike disekcij kraniocervikalnih arterij, ki so po zaporedju patoloških dogodkov povzročile smrt živali. Po fizičnih poškodbah vratu samice sibirskega tigra, ki so bile posledica agonističnega vedenje samca tigra, smo opravili diagnostične teste, ki so vključevali popolni zdravniški pregled, slikanje MRA s časom leta (TOF) in radiografijo. Vzeli smo tudi vzorce za klinično oceno, hematologijo, mikrobiološko kulturo in antibiogram. Predpisali smo začetno zdravljenje in izvedli PCR. Na žalost so bili ukrepi zdravljenja neustrezni in žival je poginila. Zato smo opravili nekropsijo, histopatološki pregled in imunohistokemično barvanje. Rezultati mikrobiološke preiskave so vključevali prvo identifikacijo bakterije Bergeyella zoohelcum pri tej vrsti živali. Diagnostične ugotovitve na podlagi nekropsije in histoloških preiskav so vključevale anevrizmo, subarahnoidalno krvavitev, ishemično kap ter Hornerjev intramuralni hematom, rupturo karotidnih arterij in notranje jugularne vene, kar še ni bilo opisano. Računalniška tomografija celotnega telesa s prilagojenim protokolom slikanja kraniocervikalnih žil je varna, hitra in izvedljiva metoda za odkrivanje poškodb žil. Ta metoda bi lahko bila del širšega presejalnega protokola za kraniocervikalne žile pri dokumentiranih poškodbah glave in vratu ter mehanizmih poškodb, ki vplivajo tudi na kraniocervikalno področje.  Ključne besede: Bergeyella zoohelcum; ishemična kap; subarahnoidalna krvavitev; tiger; prehodni ishemični napad