Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cerebellar degeneration causing movement problems in young Bavarian
By Flegel, T et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2007·Department of Small Animal Medicine, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Cerebellar cortical degeneration with selective granule cell loss in Bavarian mountain dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Three Bavarian mountain dogs, aged 18 to 20 months, were brought in with ongoing issues related to balance and coordination, indicating problems with their cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls movement. Imaging tests suggested a condition called cerebellar hypoplasia, which means the cerebellum was underdeveloped. A detailed examination after one dog passed away revealed a significant loss of specific brain cells, which contributed to their symptoms. Unfortunately, this condition appears to be a breed-specific issue that leads to progressive movement problems starting at a young age, and there are no known treatments to reverse the damage.
People also search for: Bavarian mountain dog cerebellar dysfunction · dog balance problems · cerebellar hypoplasia in dogs
Abstract
Three Bavarian mountain dogs aged between 18 and 20 months, not related to each other, were presented with chronic signs of cerebellar dysfunction. On sagittal T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging brain images, the tentative diagnosis of cerebellar hypoplasia was established based on an enlarged cerebrospinal fluid space around the cerebellum and an increased cerebrospinal fluid signal between the folia. Post-mortem examination was performed in one dog and did show an overall reduction of cerebellar size. On histopathologic examination, a selective loss of cerebellar granule cells with sparing of Purkinje cells was evident. Therefore, the Bavarian mountain dog is a breed where cerebellar cortical degeneration caused by the rather exceptional selective granule cell loss can be seen as cause of chronic, slowly progressive cerebellar dysfunction starting at an age of several months.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17663663/