Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Young dogs with brain cortex degeneration causing ataxia and blindness
By Cahalan, S D et al.·Published in Veterinary pathology·2015·The Royal Veterinary College, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A novel idiopathic superficial neocortical degeneration and atrophy in young adult dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of five young adult dogs, aged 1 to 2 years, showed concerning symptoms like difficulty walking (ataxia), trouble swallowing (dysphagia), blindness, and changes in behavior. Brain scans revealed significant brain tissue loss and enlargement of certain brain cavities. The dogs had visible brain damage that was consistent across all cases, indicating a new type of brain disease in dogs. Unfortunately, the exact cause of this condition is still unclear, and treatment options are not well established.
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Abstract
A diffuse, chronic, superficial neocortical degeneration that resulted in atrophy was detected in five 1 to 2-year-old-dogs. Presenting neurologic signs included ataxia, dysphagia, blindness, and mentation changes. Magnetic resonance imaging on brains from 2 dogs demonstrated severe bilateral cerebrocortical atrophy and enlarged lateral and third ventricles. Grossly, multifocal, bilaterally symmetrical, extensive areas of neocortical brownish discoloration associated with atrophy of gyri and sulcal widening were recorded in the dorsal and lateral cerebral hemispheres in 3 dogs. Microscopically, in all dogs there was subacute to chronic superficial neocortical degeneration affecting all cerebral lobes, ranging from loss of the molecular layer to less frequent larger and deeper cavitations of variable size. Clinical signs probably resulted from a combination of primary neocortical degeneration and secondary degeneration in the corticobulbar and corticospinal tracts. The distribution pattern of gross and histologic cerebrocortical lesions suggests that this is a novel degenerative canine cerebral disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24782390/