Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Sudden total blindness from retinal degeneration in two dogs
By O'Toole, D et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·1992·Department of Veterinary Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Sudden acquired retinal degeneration ('silent retina syndrome') in two dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Two adult dogs suddenly became completely blind without any obvious signs of eye problems. Despite thorough eye examinations, the vets found minimal changes in the dogs' eyes, and tests showed no response from the retinas. Further investigation revealed significant damage to the cells responsible for vision, but the cause of this sudden blindness remains unclear, with acute toxicity suggested as a possible reason. Unfortunately, there was no effective treatment to restore their vision, and both dogs remained blind.
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Abstract
Two unrelated adult dogs developed idiopathic, acute-onset, bilateral total blindness. The ophthalmoscopic changes were minimal and no electroretinographic response could be detected in either dog. The retinas were examined ultrastructurally 10 days (dog 1) and two-and-a-half months (dog 2) after they became blind. There was widespread loss of the outer segments of rod and cone photoreceptors. Where the outer segments persisted, there was marked tubulovesicular change with loss of normal orientation in their lamellae. Second order neurons (bipolar cells) and ganglion cells were unaffected. The cause of this selective and massive disruption of rod and cone endings was not established, but acute toxicity is proposed as a possible mechanism.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1566541/