Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Signs and diagnosis of Alexander disease in a young Beagle dog
By Vandenberghe, Hélène et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2023·Highcroft Veterinary Referrals, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Diagnostic features of type II fibrinoid leukodystrophy (Alexander disease) in a juvenile Beagle dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3-month-old female Beagle was brought in with worsening neurological symptoms, including issues with coordination and balance. After ruling out common infections and conducting an MRI, the vet found significant brain abnormalities, particularly in the white matter, indicating a serious condition known as Alexander disease. Unfortunately, due to the progressive nature of the disease and poor prognosis, the decision was made to euthanize the puppy. This case highlights the unique brain changes associated with this rare condition in dogs.
People also search for: Beagle puppy neurological symptoms · Alexander disease in dogs · dog brain MRI results
Abstract
A 3-month-old female entire Beagle presented with a progressive history of caudotentorial encephalopathy. Reactive encephalopathies were ruled out and tests for the most common infectious diseases agents were negative. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain using a 1.5 Tesla scanner showed diffuse, bilateral, T2-weighted and T2-weighted-FLAIR hyperintense, T1-weighted hypointense, noncontrast-enhancing lesions involving the white matter of the cerebellum, brainstem, spinal cord, and forebrain to a lesser extent. There was cerebellar enlargement. Abnormalities were not detected on cerebrospinal fluid examination. Given the progressive nature of the disease and suspected poor prognosis the dog was euthanized. Histopathological analysis of the brain was consistent with fibrinoid leukodystrophy, also known as Alexander disease. Based on the classification used in humans, this is a description of MRI of a case of type II Alexander disease in veterinary medicine, with characteristics different to other described leukoencephalopathies in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36799664/