Spinal arachnoid diverticula in cats: Clinical presentation, diagnostic imaging findings, treatment, and outcome.

Background: Spinal arachnoid diverticulum (SAD) is considered a rare disease in cats. Previous reports mainly classified SAD in cats as acquired.

Hypothesis/objectives: The aim of this study was to describe the signalment, clinical presentation, diagnostic imaging findings, and outcome in a group of cats with SAD.

Complications associated with cerebrospinal fluid collection in dogs.

Background: This study aimed to identify complications associated with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collection in dogs.

Methods: This was a prospective, observational multicentre study using data collected from 102 dogs undergoing CSF collection for the investigation of neurological disease. CSF was collected from the cerebellomedullary cistern (CMC), lumbar subarachnoid space (LSAS) or both sites.

Bruxism in awake dogs as a clinical sign of forebrain disease: 4 cases.

Background: Bruxism is a repetitive masticatory muscle activity characterized by clenching or grinding of the teeth, or by bracing or thrusting of the mandible, or both.

Objectives: To investigate whether bruxism in awake dogs could be associated with brain lesions.

Animals: Four dogs with episodic bruxism in the awake state.

Utility of a flexed neck sagittal magentic resonance imaging sequence for the assessment of cerebellomedullary cistern in dogs.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collection from the cerebellomedullary cistern (CM) of dogs with congenital or acquired cerebellar herniation could lead to serious complications. It is anecdotally more challenging in large brachycephalic breeds possibly due to the increased distance between the skin and CM. The first objective of this study was to assess whether flexed-neck sagittal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences would assist in the decision-making process of collecting CSF from the CM.

What Is Your Diagnosis?

In collaboration with the American College of Veterinary Radiology.

Clinical features, diagnosis, and survival analysis of dogs with glioma.

Background: Gliomas in dogs remain poorly understood.

Objectives: To characterize the clinicopathologic findings, diagnostic imaging features and survival of a large sample of dogs with glioma using the Comparative Brain Tumor Consortium diagnostic classification.

Animals: Ninety-one dogs with histopathological diagnosis of glioma.

Botulinum toxin type A for the treatment of muscle contractures secondary to acute spinal cord injury in a young cat.

Case Summary: A 4-month-old male entire domestic shorthair cat presented for sudden onset of right thoracic monoparesis following a fall; within 18 h, the clinical signs progressed to non-ambulatory right hemiplegia with absent sensation in the distal right thoracic limb and left hemiparesis. MRI revealed changes consistent with a C6-C7 acute non-compressive nucleus pulposus extrusion with suspected secondary C5-C7 spinal cord haemorrhage. Rehabilitation exercises were started immediately after the diagnosis of acute spinal cord trauma.

Cytological and microbiological characteristics of middle ear effusions in brachycephalic dogs.

Background: Middle ear effusion is common in brachycephalic dogs with similarities to otitis media with effusion in children. Association with the cranial and eustachian tube morphology and bacterial infection is suspected in both species.

Hypothesis/objectives: To determine cytological and bacteriological features of middle ear effusions in dogs, provide information on histological features, and further assess the dog as a model of the human disease.

Network analysis of canine brain morphometry links tumour risk to oestrogen deficiency and accelerated brain ageing.

Structural 'brain age' is a valuable but complex biomarker for several brain disorders. The dog is an unrivalled comparator for neurological disease modeling, however canine brain morphometric diversity creates computational and statistical challenges. Using a data-driven approach, we explored complex interactions between patient metadata, brain morphometry, and neurological disease.

Expression of microRNAs in cerebrospinal fluid of dogs with central nervous system disease.

In this pilot study we investigated the expression of 14 microRNAs in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of dogs with neoplastic, inflammatory and degenerative disorders affecting the central nervous system (CNS). CSF microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles were compared to those from dogs with neurological signs but no evidence of structural or inflammatory CNS disease. Seven miRNAs were easily detected in all samples: miR-10b-5p, miR-19b, miR-21-5p, miR-30b-5p, miR-103a-3p, miR-124, and miR-128-3p.

Feline hyperaesthesia syndrome with self-trauma to the tail: retrospective study of seven cases and proposal for an integrated multidisciplinary diagnostic approach.

Case Series Summary: This was a retrospective study on the clinical features and response to treatment in seven cats with feline hyperaesthesia syndrome (FHS) and tail mutilation. FHS is a poorly understood disorder characterised by skin rippling over the dorsal lumbar area, episodes of jumping and running, excessive vocalisation, and tail chasing and self-trauma. The majority of the cats were young, with a median age of 1 year at the onset of clinical signs, male (n = 6) and with access to the outdoors (n = 5).

Restored vision in a young dog following corticosteroid treatment of presumptive hypophysitis.

Background: Hypophysitis is an umbrella term for a group of disorders involving inflammation of the pituitary gland. A rare occurrence in humans, hypophysitis can produce a range of clinical signs including (but not limited to) visual deficits and diabetes insipidus. Only five cases of canine hypophysitis exist in the literature, all presenting in mature dogs with no visual deficits and a grave outcome.

Idiopathic sclerosing orbital inflammation mimicking a malignant spindle cell tumor in a dog.

A dog presented with a retrobulbar mass, diagnosed histopathologically as malignant spindle cell neoplasia. Emergence of analogous findings in the contralateral orbit prompted extended immunohistochemistry of the original mass and reassignment to idiopathic sclerosing orbital inflammation. Early incisional biopsy with extended immunohistochemical analysis should be considered for canine orbital tumors.

Chronic hypertrophic ganglioneuritis mimicking spinal nerve neoplasia: clinical, imaging, pathologic findings, and outcome after surgical treatment.

Objective: To report the clinical, imaging, pathologic findings, surgical planning, and long-term outcome after surgery in a dog with neurologic deficits because of a hypertrophic ganglioneuritis that compressed the spinal cord.

Study Design: Clinical report.

Animal: An 8-year-old male intact Yorkshire terrier.