Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How common are idiopathic and structural epilepsy in dogs
By Hall, Rachel et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2020·Royal Veterinary College, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Estimation of the prevalence of idiopathic epilepsy and structural epilepsy in a general population of 900 dogs undergoing MRI for epileptic seizures.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 900 dogs experiencing seizures underwent MRI scans to determine the cause of their epilepsy. The results showed that about 45% of the dogs had structural issues in their brains causing the seizures, while the remaining 55% were diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy (IE), meaning no clear cause was found. Younger dogs, especially small breeds, were more likely to have IE, while larger dogs often had tumors. This study helps clarify the reasons behind seizures in dogs and highlights the importance of thorough examinations alongside MRI results for accurate diagnosis.
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Abstract
Due to variation in study designs the prevalence of idiopathic epilepsy (IE) and structural epilepsy (SE) in dogs is largely unknown. The objective was to provide estimates of the prevalence of IE and SE in a large population of dogs undergoing MRI for epileptic seizures. A retrospective study on 900 dogs undergoing MRI for seizures was performed. MRI scans, summary clinical history and neurological examination from the VetCT database were reviewed and a diagnosis assigned by board-certified radiologists. Structural lesions were identified as a cause of seizures in 45.1 per cent (n=406) of cases. No structural lesions were identified in 54.9 per cent (n=494) of cases with presumed IE diagnosed in 53.8 per cent (n=484) of dogs. Dogs between six months and six years were more often associated with IE (P<0.001), small breeds were overrepresented with suspected inflammatory brain disease (P=0.001) and large entire dogs more often diagnosed with extra-axial neoplasms (P=0.001). Over 31.0 per cent of dogs with suspected IE were six years or older. This study is the largest of its kind in dogs and provides accurate estimates of underlying causes of epilepsy. MRI findings should be considered in the context of a detailed clinical history and neurological examination.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32303666/