Diagnosis, treatment, and long-term follow-up of bilateral, upper urinary tract infection (UTI) in a cat.

A case of bilateral, upper urinary tract infection caused by haemolytic E coli in a female Birman cat is presented. Ultrasonographic examination of the kidneys documented changes in size, outline, echogenicity and architecture. Ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration of fluid from the renal pelvis was used to make the diagnosis. Fluid was submitted for culture and sensitivity and based on the results, antimicrobial therapy was initiated. The treatment was monitored over a 406-day follow-up period. Despite extensive treatment with specific antibiotics and supportive therapy, recurrence of urinary tract infection occurred.

Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the equine musculoskeletal conditions.

There is a growing interest in the use of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in equine orthopedic patients. It is well established that CT and MR imaging offer superior diagnostic information in a wide variety of musculoskeletal injuries in human beings and small animals. The highly detailed cross-sectional images obtained with these two modalities can often demonstrate pathologic changes undetected with other common imaging techniques. Based on their multiple applications in human beings and small animals, CT or MR imaging may prove to be the optimal diagnostic imaging technique for several types of musculoskeletal disorders of horses.

Mensuration of the normal pituitary gland from magnetic resonance images in 96 dogs.

The pituitary gland was measured from transverse magnetic resonance T1-weighted images after Gadolinium administration in 96 dogs weighing from 13 to 45 kg. The measurements were done by hand with calipers. The mean (+/- standard deviation) pituitary gland height was 5.1 mm (+/-0.9 mm). The mean width was 6.4 mm (+/- 1.1 mm). The correlation coefficient between pituitary and brain measurements, between pituitary measurement and body weight, and brain measurements and body weight was 0.0 to 0.3. A hyperintense region was present on T1-weighted images in the center of the pituitary gland in 64% of the dogs. At necropsy the pituitary glands were grossly and histologically normal. No pituitary gland measurements were performed at necropsy.

Comparison of the accuracy of positioning devices for radiation therapy of canine and feline head tumors.

The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the repositioning accuracy of different positioning devices in order to determine their applicability for potential use in conformal radiation therapy for animals. Forty-four animals with spontaneous tumors of the head were included. The animals were divided into 3 groups determined according to the positioning device used. Group 1 animals were positioned using a thermoplastic mask. Group 2 animals were positioned using a head holder. Group 3 animals were positioned using the head holder and an inflatable pillow. The time of presentation determined which position device was used. Port films of the 44 patients were reviewed retrospectively, and the repositioning precision was recorded by measurements in three orthogonal planes. Groups 2 and 3 had significantly better repositioning accuracy (P < or = 0.05) compared to Group 1. The position variation was not significantly different (P < or = 0.05) between Groups 2 and 3 in the lateral and longitudinal direction. Group 3 had a median reposition variation of 0.5 to 1.0 mm, with a standard deviation of 1.0 to 1.5 mm.

Magnetic resonance imaging features of tumors of the spine and spinal cord in dogs.

Twenty-one dogs with confirmed tumors of the spinal cord or paraspinal tissues were imaged with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Anatomical location, location in relation to the dura and the medulla (spinal cord), and bone infiltration were assessed on the MR images and compared to findings at surgery or necropsy. Localization of tumors in the intradural-extramedullary compartment was not always possible. Bone infiltration was correctly assessed in all but one dog, and the anatomical locations involved were accurately determined in all dogs. Sagittal T2-weighted images were helpful to determine the anatomical location. Transverse T1-weighted images pre and post Gd-DTPA administration were helpful for additional localization and definition of tumor extension.

Chondrodysplasia in five Great Pyrenees.

Five disproportionate, short-limbed, short-trunked (dwarf) Great Pyrenees pups were examined. The mode of inheritance was compatible with a simple autosomal recessive trait, and skeletal radiography revealed flaring of the metaphyses of all long bones and the costochondral junctions of the ribs. Vertebral bodies were poorly ossified and short, and had a beak-like extension on the caudal metaphyseal margin. Vertebral body end-plates were thin and concave, and ossification was abnormal. Three of the 5 dogs were deaf, and 1 had testicular atrophy. Ocular examinations did not reveal any abnormalities. Histologic examination of the growth plates revealed disorganized chondrocyte columns, and chondrocytes appeared to have undergone degenerative changes in the zone of chondrocyte proliferation. Transmission electron micrography of growth plate chondrocytes revealed dilated profiles of rough endoplasmic reticulum.

Radiography, myelography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging of the spine.

Various methods of documenting pathologic change in the spine and spinal cord are available to the veterinary practitioner. Intimidation caused by the imaging modality and the fear that one will not be able to recognize or diagnose a lesion are the factors that limit the use of diagnostic imaging. One needs only to be able to recognize the variations of normal anatomy to be successful. Once an abnormal area has been identified, the diagnosis is soon to follow. Therefore one should concentrate on improving the simple skills associated with image interpretation and normal anatomy. Lesion identification and definitive diagnoses will follow by natural progression.

Analysis of binding of a technetium-99m-labeled monoclonal antibody to lentivirus-infected cells.

Caprine arthritis-encephalitis (CAE) is a model for the study of lentiviral infections. The authors' hypothesis is that radioimmunodetection has the potential to detect lentiviral proteins at the surface of infected cells. A monoclonal antibody (CAEV92A1) specific for a CAE virus (CAEV)-associated glycoprotein and a control antibody were radiolabeled with technetium-99m (99mTc) using the pretinning method. Cell binding assays were used to evaluate immunoreactivity and binding properties of 99mTc-labeled antibodies to CAEV-infected cells. 99mTc-CAEV92A1 bound preferentially to paraformaldehyde-fixed and live CAEV-infected cells. 99mTc-CAEV92A1 did not appear to be shed rapidly from its binding site.

Atresia of the right atrioventricular orifice with complete transposition of the great arteries in a horse.

The heart of a 6-week old Arabian filly with a history of poor health and exercise intolerance revealed at postmortem examination, multiple cardiac malformations which included atresia of the right atrioventricular orifice (tricuspid atresia, with associated atrial and ventricular septal defects), complete transposition of the great arteries, anomalous drainage of the venae cavae and coronary sinus into the left atrium, coarctation of the aorta, and a small but patent ductus arteriosus. The course of blood through the heart was suggested and discussed.

Undersulfated chondroitin sulfate in cartilage from a miniature poodle with spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia.

In order to determine if either the proteoglycans or collagen in the cartilagenous epiphyses of a Miniature Poodle with spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia were abnormal, the cartilage was dissociatively extracted in 4 M guanidine HCl in the presence of protease inhibitors and subjected to isopycnic cesium chloride dissociative density gradient ultracentrifugation. Dissociative extraction solubilized 97% of the uronic acid and 88% of the protein. Uronic acid distributed anomalously in the density gradient in that about 1/3 was recovered in each of the D1 (1.58 g/ml), D2 (1.49 g/ml) and D3 (1.44 g/ml) fractions. Proteoglycans in the D1, D2 and D3 fractions also eluted from Sepharose CL-2B columns in a manner indicative of monomers of a smaller apparent hydrodynamic size than those from normal canine growth plate or articular cartilage. D1, D2 and D3 monomers subjected to the sodium borohydride reaction followed by chromatography on a Sepharose CL-6B column yielded glycosaminoglycan chain molecular weights of 10,200 (D1), 7600 (D2) and 6200 (D3). High pressure liquid chromatography on a Whatman Partisil 10PAC column of the chondroitinase AC II digests of D1, D2 and D3 fractions revealed that 60% of the D1, 81% of the D2 and 88% of the D3 unsaturated disaccharides eluted in the delta DiOS-delta DiHA position. Subsequent HPLC of the unsaturated disaccharides on the Hypersil APS column resulted in the recovery of 97% of the nonsulfated unsaturated disaccharides in the delta DiOS position. Associative extraction in 0.5 M guanidine followed by associative gradient ultracentrifugation resulted in the recovery of 27% of the uronic acid in the aA1 and 47% in the aA2 fractions. Two dimensional SDS gel electrophoresis of the CNBr peptides of the collagen isolated by pepsin digestion and 0.9 M NaCl precipitation revealed type II collagen. This study has demonstrated that spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia in a Miniature Poodle is characterized by cartilage containing undersulfated chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan.

Chondrodysplasia in the Alaskan malamute. Characterization of proteoglycans dissociatively extracted from dwarf growth plates.

Proteoglycan monomers obtained from the dissociative extraction of growth plate cartilages of chondrodysplastic and homozygous nonaffected Alaskan malamute dogs were characterized with regard to hydrodynamic size and glycosaminoglycan composition. Dissociative extraction solubilized 91.7% of the uronic acid and 71.7% of the protein from dwarf growth plates compared to 76.8% of the uronic acid and 50.2% of the protein from normal growth plates. Dissociative density gradient ultracentrifugation of the extracts resulted in the recovery of 84% of the uronic acid from dwarf growth plates and 71% of the uronic acid from normal growth plates in the D1 fraction. High-pressure liquid chromatography of the dwarf D1 monomers revealed a single peak with a retention time of 8.6 minutes while the normal D1 monomers eluted later with a retention time of 8.9 minutes. After reduction of the dwarf D1 monomers, the chondroitin sulfate side chains eluted from Sepharose CL-6B with an approximate molecular weight of 15,000 (Kav of 0.55) while those from the normal eluted with an estimated molecular weight of 9,500 (Kav of 0.64). High-pressure liquid chromatography analysis of the unsaturated disaccharides from the dwarf D1 fractions revealed increased amounts of chondroitin-6-sulfate. Analysis of the fractions for glucosamine and galactosamine revealed that dwarf D1 and D2 fractions were enriched in galactosamine. These findings indicate that the extracellular matrices of dwarf growth plates contain proteoglycan monomers which may be indicative of a less mature extracellular cartilage matrix than the cartilage matrices of age-matched normal dogs.

Cervical vertebral interbody fusion in the horse: a comparative study of bovine xenografts and autografts supported by stainless steel baskets.

A modified form of the Cloward technique for anterior cervical fusion in human beings was used in the application of different grafts for evaluation of their effectiveness in stabilizing equine cervical vertebrae. Results of bovine xenograft implants in 8 horses were compared with results of stainless steel baskets (SSB) packed with cancellous autogenous bone in 8 horses. Graft material was incorporated in all cases. Evidence of graft rejection was not present. Both forms of implants decreased the mobility of the intervertebral space in which they were implanted. A fibrous connective tissue union was prevalent after xenograft implantation. Osseous union was prevalent after implantation of the SSB. Reduction in range of motion was greatest at those sites with the SSB.

Spinal cord compression and hindlimb paresis in cats with mucopolysaccharidosis VI.

Six cats with mucopolysaccharidosis VI had hindlimb paresis and other clinical signs associated with compression of the thoracolumbar spinal cord. In 5 cats, the neurologic abnormality progressed over 2 to 4 weeks to loss of thoracolumbar spinal cord function. In 1 cat, the hindlimb paresis remained stable for 18 months. In the cats with progressive worsening of hindlimb function, the abnormality was caused by compression of the spinal cord from proliferation of bony tissue in the thoracolumbar region. In all affected cats, the compression occurred from T12 to L2. In 1 cat, an attempt to relieve the clinical signs by surgery was unsuccessful.

Dwarfism in the Alaskan Malamute: ultrastructural features of dwarf growth plate chondrocytes.

This study was performed in order to reexamine the ultrastructural morphology of the chondrocytes in the growth plates of dwarf Alaskan Malamutes and to obtain semiquantitative cytochemical data about the proteoglycans. Growth plates from age-matched dwarf and homozygous nonaffected Alaskan Malamutes were processed for routine transmission electron microscopy and also stained with ruthenium red. Chondrocytes in dwarf plates were observed to occur in clumps or cell nests. Within some of these nests, chondrocytes in the upper half of the zone of chondrocyte proliferation had bizarre shapes ranging from V-shaped to whorled or rounded. These chondrocytes contained profiles of markedly dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER). Material within the RER cisternae stained positively with ruthenium red and was partially digestible with testicular hyaluronidase. The material could, therefore, represent either chondroitin sulfate or hyaluronate. The RER in these dwarf chondrocytes was not oriented parallel to the long axis of the cells; instead, it consisted of irregularly dilated cisternae. Granule counts performed on the zone of chondrocyte proliferation revealed a significant decrease in the number of ruthenium red granules in the interterritorial matrix of dwarf chondrocytes when compared to those of the homozygous nonaffected chondrocytes.

Chondrodysplasia in the Norwegian Elkhound.

Dwarfism in the Norwegian Elkhound occurred as a result of a generalized disturbance in endochondral ossification. Radiographic changes included flaring and increased width of the distal metaphyses of the radius and ulna, delayed ossification of the cuboid bones of the carpus, and reduction in length of the vertebral bodies. The zone of chondrocyte proliferation was decreased in width and contained areas of abnormal cell column formation alternated with wide areas of matrix. Chondrocytes in all zones contained one or more inclusions bounded by a smooth discontinuous membrane. The material within the inclusions appeared homogeneous and stained blue-green with Movat's pentachrome and deep blue with alcian blue-periodic acid-Schiff at pH 1.0 and 2.6. The distribution of ruthenium red granules in the matrix frequently revealed poor differentiation into territorial and interterritorial zones. Twenty-four-hour urine samples were negative for glucose, and the glycosaminoglycan excretion pattern was normal.

Dwarfism in Alaskan malamutes: a disease resembling metaphyseal dysplasia in human beings.

In a study of 300 Alaskan Malamutes, dwarfism was shown to be an autosomal recessive inherited disease with complete penetrance that resulted in disturbed endochondral bone formation. Osseous growth disturbance was manifest at the metaphyses of tubular bones. Clinical and radiographic changes were very similar to those of rickets, although appositional bone formation rates were normal. Serum calcium, phosphorus, and alkaline phosphatase were within normal limits. Urinary excretion of calcium, phosphate, and amino acids were normal. Excess matrix was formed in the zone of cartilage cell proliferation, and the matrix persisted in the growth plate. Normal stresses resulted in microfractures in the metaphyses with subsequent interference of vascular penetration into the zone of degenerated cartilage cells.