Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Porencephaly brain cysts and seizures in dogs and cats
By Schmidt, Martin J et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2012·Department of Veterinary Clinical Science, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Porencephaly in dogs and cats: magnetic resonance imaging findings and clinical signs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old dog was diagnosed with porencephaly, a brain condition that can cause cystic changes in the cerebral hemispheres. This dog experienced seizures and other neurological signs like balance issues, which are not typically linked to the forebrain. MRI scans showed significant brain lesions, but some dogs with similar conditions did not show any symptoms. Treatment options for porencephaly can vary, and while some dogs may live without major issues, others may require ongoing care for their symptoms.
People also search for: dog seizures treatment · porencephaly in dogs · neurological signs in dogs · dog brain MRI results
Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of brain lesions in 5 dogs and 2 cats characterized by extensive cystic changes of the cerebral hemispheres in terms of a porencephaly are presented. Age at diagnosis ranged from 12 weeks to 7 years. MRI findings were confined to the forebrain. Porencephalic lesions appeared as wedge-shaped parenchymal defects connecting the ventricular system and the subarachnoid space or as large cystic defects in the cerebral hemispheres. Although in two adult dogs the porencephalic lesions were asymptomatic, the other animals showed clinical symptoms depending on the affected cerebral area. Three animals had seizures. Interestingly, four animals showed neurological signs normally not localized to the forebrain (nystagmus, hypermetria, ataxia). Whether these clinical signs are related to impaired function of the cerebral cortex or to not recognizable lesions in the cerebello-vestibular system could not be further clarified. Although the defects develop intrauterine or postnatal, the clinical symptoms can occur later in life. The definition of porencephaly as well as its subclassification is not uniform in veterinary medicine. We suggest the term encephaloclastic porencephaly unregarding the underlying cause of the defect, which cannot be further specified by diagnostic imaging.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22734149/