Gamma-irradiated Calvarium Allograft Cranioplasty in a cat following brain tumor removal.

A 14-year-old domestic shorthair cat was evaluated for a 3-month history of head pressing and circling. Neurological examination suggested a supratentorial problem, predominantly on the left side. An extradural mass extending from the rostral frontal lobes caudally to the level of the caudal aspect of the corpus callosum was found with magnetic resonance imaging. A bilateral rostrotentorial craniectomy combined with a frontal sinus craniectomy was performed for mass removal. A gamma-irradiated calvarial allograft was used to repair the calvarial defect. At 14 months following surgery, the cat had no neurological abnormalities, and the skull and facial appearance was normal.

Radiographic features of Golden Retriever muscular dystrophy.

Golden Retriever muscular dystrophy is an inherited, degenerative myopathy due to the absence of dystrophin and is used as a model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy of young boys. This report describes the radiographic abnormalities of Golden Retriever muscular dystrophy in 26 dogs. The thoracic abnormalities included diaphragmatic asymmetry (18/26), diaphragmatic undulation (18/26), and gastro-esophageal hiatal hernia (6/26). Pelvic abnormalities included narrowing of the body of the ilia (14/19), ventral deviation and curvature of the tuber ischii (14/19), elongation of the obturator foramen with a decrease in opacity of the surrounding bone (12/19), and lateral flaring of the wings of the ilia (12/19). Abdominal abnormalities consisted of hepatomegaly (14/22) and poor serosal detail (12/22). The unique thoracic abnormalities were a consistent finding in affected Golden Retriever muscular dystrophy dogs. The diagnosis of muscular dystrophy should be included in the differential list if the combination of diaphragm undulation and asymmetry, and gastro-esophageal hiatal hernia are identified. These diaphragmatic abnormalities are related to hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the diaphragm. Additionally, the skeletal changes of pelvic tilt, elongation of the pelvis, widening of the obturator foramina and thinning of the ischiatic tables appear to be specific to Golden Retriever muscular dystrophy in dogs. These pelvic abnormalities are most likely secondary to bone remodeling associated with the progressive skeletal myopathy and subsequent contracture/fibrosis.