Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Chiari-like malformation and syringomyelia in Cavalier King Charles
By Knowler, Susan P et al.·Published in PloS one·2017·School of Veterinary Medicine, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Use of Morphometric Mapping to Characterise Symptomatic Chiari-Like Malformation, Secondary Syringomyelia and Associated Brachycephaly in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was experiencing pain and neurological symptoms due to Chiari-like malformation (CM) and secondary syringomyelia (SM), which are conditions affecting the brain and spinal cord. Researchers used MRI scans to identify specific brain shape changes associated with these conditions, finding that CM pain was linked to certain brain abnormalities. The study suggests that the breed's brachycephalic (flat-faced) structure may contribute to these issues. Understanding these traits can help veterinarians diagnose and manage these conditions more effectively, improving the dog's quality of life.
People also search for: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel CM symptoms · dog syringomyelia treatment · brachycephaly in dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To characterise the symptomatic phenotype of Chiari-like malformation (CM), secondary syringomyelia (SM) and brachycephaly in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel using morphometric measurements on mid-sagittal Magnetic Resonance images (MRI) of the brain and craniocervical junction. METHODS: This retrospective study, based on a previous quantitative analysis in the Griffon Bruxellois (GB), used 24 measurements taken on 130 T1-weighted MRI of hindbrain and cervical region. Associated brachycephaly was estimated using 26 measurements, including rostral forebrain flattening and olfactory lobe rotation, on 72 T2-weighted MRI of the whole brain. Both study cohorts were divided into three groups; Control, CM pain and SM and their morphometries compared with each other. RESULTS: Fourteen significant traits were identified in the hindbrain study and nine traits in the whole brain study, six of which were similar to the GB and suggest a common aetiology. The Control cohort had the most elliptical brain (p = 0.010), least olfactory bulb rotation (p = 0.003) and a protective angle (p = 0.004) compared to the other groups. The CM pain cohort had the greatest rostral forebrain flattening (p = 0.007), shortest basioccipital (p = 0.019), but a greater distance between the atlas and basioccipital (p = 0.002) which was protective for SM. The SM cohort had two conformation anomalies depending on the severity of craniocervical junction incongruities; i) the proximity of the dens (p <0.001) ii) increased airorhynchy with a smaller, more ventrally rotated olfactory bulb (p <0.001). Both generated 'concertina' flexures of the brain and craniocervical junction. CONCLUSION: Morphometric mapping provides a diagnostic tool for quantifying symptomatic CM, secondary SM and their relationship with brachycephaly. It is hypothesized that CM pain is associated with increased brachycephaly and SM can result from different combinations of abnormalities of the forebrain, caudal fossa and craniocervical junction which compromise the neural parenchyma and impede cerebrospinal fluid flow.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28122014/