Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
An evidence-based approach to clinical questions in the practice of equine neurology.
- Journal:
- The Veterinary clinics of North America. Equine practice
- Year:
- 2007
- Authors:
- Van Biervliet, Jérôme
- Affiliation:
- Department for Molecular and Developmental Genetics
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
Equine neurology, or the study of nervous system issues in horses, can be tricky because of the horse's large size, which makes some common diagnostic tests unsafe or unavailable. Observing the horse carefully is crucial for figuring out what might be wrong, but this can sometimes lead to unclear or subjective conclusions. The article focuses on a specific condition called cervical vertebral compressive myelopathy (CVCM), which is a common cause of neurological problems in horses. It discusses how to diagnose CVCM by looking at the horse's age, clinical signs, additional tests, and any tissue samples taken, while also noting that each method has its own limitations. Overall, the article emphasizes the importance of using evidence-based methods to improve the accuracy of diagnosing this condition.
Abstract
The practice of equine neurology has special challenges posed by the size of the animal being examined. Many diagnostic procedures routinely used in small animal practice are unsafe when applied to the equine patient or unavailable to the equine practitioner. Therefore, astute observation is the mainstay of making a neuroanatomic diagnosis, and detailed evidence on the deficits present may be difficult to obtain. Because clinical observation can sometimes be ambiguous and somewhat subjective, it is even more important to approach equine neurology from an evidence-based point of view. Here, such an approach is outlined for the diagnosis of cervical vertebral compressive myelopathy (CVCM), one of the most common noninfectious causes of equine neurologic disease. This article is an attempt to summarize all aspects of making a diagnosis of CVCM on the basis of signalment, clinical examination, ancillary diagnostic tests, and pathologic examination. Each of these considerations has inherent limitations regarding diagnostic accuracy, which are discussed.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17616316/