Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cerebellar degeneration causing ataxia in two young dogs
By Mignan, Thomas et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2024·Dovecote Veterinary Hospital, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Granuloprival cerebellar cortical degeneration in a Yorkshire Terrier and Lagotto Romagnolo dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3-month-old Yorkshire Terrier and a 7-month-old Lagotto Romagnolo were brought to the vet because they were having trouble with balance, walking, and coordination, showing signs like a wide stance and tremors. Despite having normal vision, they also lost the ability to respond to visual threats. Brain scans revealed a significant reduction in the size of their cerebellum, which controls movement. Unfortunately, both dogs had to be euthanized due to the worsening symptoms, and tests confirmed a rare condition called granuloprival cerebellar cortical degeneration.
People also search for: Yorkshire Terrier balance problems · Lagotto Romagnolo tremors · dog cerebellar dysfunction symptoms · dog euthanasia decision · cerebellar degeneration in dogs
Abstract
Granuloprival degeneration is an uncommon form of cerebellar cortical degeneration (CCD). A 3-month-old Yorkshire Terrier and a 7-month-old Lagotto Romagnolo dog were presented with a history of progressive cerebellar dysfunction including wide-based stance, cerebellar ataxia, intention tremors, and loss of menace response despite normal vision. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain identified marked diffuse decrease of the cerebellum size. Euthanasia was performed in both cases because of progression of clinical signs. Histopathological examination identified marked diffuse thinning of the granular cell layer with almost complete loss of the granular cell neurons, providing a definitive diagnosis of granuloprival CCD. Granuloprival CCD should be considered as a differential diagnosis in Yorkshire Terrier and Lagotto Romagnolo dogs with post-natal progressive clinical signs of cerebellar dysfunction.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38662636/