Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Shaking and ataxia in border terrier puppies from brain disease
By Gutierrez-Quintana, Rodrigo et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2019·School of Veterinary Medicine, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Spongiform leucoencephalomyelopathy in border terriers: clinical, electrophysiological and imaging features.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of border terrier puppies developed severe shaking and coordination problems starting at just three weeks old. In a study of seven affected puppies, those that were not euthanized showed some slow improvement over several months. MRI scans revealed specific changes in the brain, and tests showed abnormal responses in their auditory pathways. This condition, known as spongiform leucoencephalomyelopathy, has distinct signs and imaging features, and for the first time, some puppies showed long-term improvement.
People also search for: border terrier puppy shaking · dog coordination problems · puppy tremors treatment · spongiform leucoencephalomyelopathy symptoms
Abstract
A novel spongiform leucoencephalomyelopathy was reported in border terrier puppies in 2012 causing a shaking puppy phenotype, but no information regarding clinical progression, imaging or electrophysiological findings were available. The aim of the present study was to describe the clinical, electrophysiological and MRI features of this disease in seven dogs and compare them with human white matter disorders. All cases presented with cerebellar ataxia and severe generalised coarse body tremors, which started at three weeks of age. The three cases that were not euthanased showed slow but progressive improvement over several months. Brainstem auditory evoked response demonstrated a normal wave I, reduced amplitude of wave II and an absence of waves III-VII. MRI revealed bilateral and symmetrical T2-weighted hyperintensities affecting the brainstem and cerebellar white matter. Histological examination of the brain and spinal cord showed spongiform change affecting the white matter of the cerebellum, brainstem and spinal cord with decreased myelin content. In summary, this leucoencephalomyelopathy has a pathognomonic clinical presentation with defining MRI and electrophysiological characteristics, and it is the first report to describe a long-term improvement of this condition.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31346136/