Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Schwannosis in Three Foals and a Calf.
- Journal:
- Veterinary pathology
- Year:
- 2019
- Authors:
- Miranda, Ileana C et al.
- Affiliation:
- 1 Department of Biomedical Sciences · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
In this study, researchers looked at three foals and a calf, all between 5 to 11 weeks old, that showed worsening neurological problems from birth. They found that these animals had unusual growths of Schwann cells, which are normally found in the peripheral nervous system, within their spinal cords. This condition, called schwannosis, caused changes in the spinal cord's structure and led to some disorganized nerve tissue. The findings suggest that this issue is likely due to a developmental problem in the nervous system that started before birth. Unfortunately, the study does not provide information on the outcomes for these animals after treatment.
Abstract
Proliferation of ectopic Schwann cells within the central nervous system (CNS) parenchyma (schwannosis) in early life is most commonly associated with human neurofibromatosis type-2 and has been unrecognized in domestic animals. Three foals and a calf, 5 to 11 weeks old, with progressive neurological signs from birth were studied. Histologically, at multiple levels of the spinal cord, all animals had bilateral plaques of proliferative spindle cells, predominantly affecting the white matter adjacent to dorsal and ventral nerve roots and variably extending into the gray matter. Proliferating cells had strong intracytoplasmic immunoreactivity for the Schwann cell markers myelin protein zero and periaxin, highlighting the formation of peripheral nervous system (PNS) myelin within the spinal cord. In all cases, foci of disorganized neural tissue (glioneuronal hamartomas) were present, which in 2 cases formed a mass effect that resulted in syringohydromyelia. Neonatal presentation suggests a congenital maldevelopment of the nervous system, with spontaneous invasion of PNS-derived Schwann cells into the CNS.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31109258/