Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with chronic brain injury after repeated abuse and ataxia
By Laurent, S et al.·Published in Journal of comparative pathology·2010·Unité, France·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Chronic traumatic brain injury in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old female American Staffordshire bull terrier was brought in for problems with coordination in her front and back legs, along with decreased alertness and confusion. These issues were linked to past physical abuse, leading to suspected brain damage. Tests showed signs of brain swelling and fluid buildup, but unfortunately, the prognosis was poor. The dog was humanely euthanized, and a post-mortem examination confirmed severe brain damage that was different from what is typically seen in humans with similar injuries.
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Abstract
Chronic traumatic brain injury is rare in man and has not been previously documented in dogs. This report describes a 2-year-old female American Staffordshire bull terrier that was referred with forelimb and hindlimb ataxia, decreased vigilance and disorientation following repeated aggression and physical abuse by its owner. A diffuse cortical lesion was suspected. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed neutrophilic pleocytosis and computed tomography showed marked widening of the cerebral sulci with mild bilateral ventriculomegaly. The dog was humanely destroyed in view of the poor prognosis. Necropsy examination revealed narrowing of the cerebral cortical gyri and consequent widening of the sulci without distortion or displacement of the neural parenchyma. These features were consistent with bilateral diffuse cortical atrophy. Microscopically, there were chronic subarachnoid haemorrhages and the cortical subpial layer displayed spongiosis, capillary hyperplasia, astrocytosis, microgliosis and frequent neuronal necrosis occurring in a characteristic laminar pattern. This histopathological pattern of damage was significantly different from that previously described in people suffering from repeated traumatic brain injuries over a long period of time.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20106486/