Torticollis in mice intravenously infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis

J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci. 2011 Mar;50(2):244-7.

Abstract

Female BALB/cAnNCrl (n = 170; age, 6 to 9 wk) mice were infected by intravenous inoculation of 5 × 10(6) cfu Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain Erdman (ATCC 35801). Between day 52 and 5 mo after infection, 10 of the 170 mice infected according to this protocol developed torticollis, including mice in treatment groups that received combination antibiotic therapy of rifampin-pyrazinamide or moxifloxacin-rifampin-pyrazinamide. Torticollis did not develop in mice receiving isoniazid- rifampin-pyrazinamide therapy, nor was it present in the cohort of aerogenically infected mice. Affected mice were euthanized, and complete necropsy evaluation was performed on 4 mice. Gross necropsy evaluation revealed typical tuberculosis lesions in lungs of infected mice. Histologic evaluation of tissues revealed granulomatous otitis media with intralesional acid-fast bacilli consistent with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. These cases represent an unusual finding specific to the intravenous mouse model of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and may represent a model of a similar condition in humans that is known as tuberculous otitis media.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antitubercular Agents / administration & dosage
  • Antitubercular Agents / adverse effects
  • Autopsy / veterinary
  • Aza Compounds / administration & dosage
  • Aza Compounds / adverse effects
  • Disease Models, Animal*
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Ear, Middle / microbiology
  • Ear, Middle / pathology
  • Female
  • Fluoroquinolones
  • Injections, Intravenous
  • Isoniazid / administration & dosage
  • Mice*
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Moxifloxacin
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis / physiology*
  • Otitis Media / etiology*
  • Otitis Media / microbiology
  • Otitis Media / pathology
  • Pyrazinamide / administration & dosage
  • Pyrazinamide / adverse effects
  • Quinolines / administration & dosage
  • Quinolines / adverse effects
  • Rifampin / administration & dosage
  • Rifampin / adverse effects
  • Torticollis / etiology*
  • Torticollis / microbiology
  • Torticollis / pathology
  • Tuberculosis / complications*
  • Tuberculosis / drug therapy*
  • Tuberculosis / pathology

Substances

  • Antitubercular Agents
  • Aza Compounds
  • Fluoroquinolones
  • Quinolines
  • Pyrazinamide
  • Moxifloxacin
  • Isoniazid
  • Rifampin