Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Progressive paralysis and brain damage in a young Japanese cat
By Ogawa, Mizue et al.·Published in Neuropathology : official journal of the Japanese Society of Neuropathology·2014·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Globoid cell leukodystrophy (Krabbe’s disease) in a Japanese domestic cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 4-month-old male Japanese domestic cat started showing signs of progressive limb paralysis, along with vision problems and difficulty with jaw movement. Sadly, the cat passed away at 9 months old. A thorough examination revealed severe damage to the brain and spinal cord, specifically a loss of myelin, which is crucial for nerve function. This condition was diagnosed as globoid cell leukodystrophy (Krabbe's disease), a rare genetic disorder affecting the nervous system. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this disease, and affected cats typically do not survive long after symptoms appear.
People also search for: cat paralysis symptoms · Krabbe's disease in cats · cat neurological disorders
Abstract
A male Japanese domestic cat developed progressive limb paralysis from 4 months of age. The cat showed visual disorder, trismus and cognitive impairment and died at 9 months of age. At necropsy, significant discoloration of the white matter was observed throughout the brain and spinal cord. Histologically, severe myelin loss and gliosis were observed, especially in the internal capsule and cerebellum.In the lesions, severe infiltration of macrophages with broad cytoplasm filled with PAS-positive and nonmetachromatic granules (globoid cells) was evident. On the basis of these findings, the case was diagnosed as feline globoid cell leukodystrophy (Krabbe’s disease). Immunohistochemical observation indicated the involvement of oxidative stress and small HSP in the disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24812701/