Diffuse intestinal ganglioneuromatosis. A post mortem diagnosed challenging case.

Intestinal ganglioneuromatosis (GN) is a benign disease of the autonomic nervous system characterized by hyperplasia of intramural plexuses of the gastrointestinal tract and enteric nerve fibers. Next, we expose an intestinal ganglioneuromatosis case that was difficult to diagnose despite an exhaustive evaluation, for further understanding of the disease.

Diffuse intestinal ganglioneuromatosis. A post mortem diagnosed challenging case

Intestinal ganglioneuromatosis (GN) is a benign disease of the autonomic nervous system characterized by hyperplasia of intramural plexuses of the gastrointestinal tract and enteric nerve fibers. Next, we expose an intestinal ganglioneuromatosis case that was difficult to diagnose despite an exhaustive evaluation, for further understanding of the disease. (AU)

Clinical signs, MRI findings and long-term outcomes of foraminal and far lateral thoracolumbar intervertebral disc herniations in dogs.

BACKGROUND: As they have been seldomly described in the veterinary literature, the aims of this retrospective study were to describe the clinical presentation, MRI findings and long-term outcome after medical or surgical treatment of dogs presenting with foraminal and far lateral thoracolumbar intervertebral disc herniations. METHODS: Retrospective multicentre study of dogs diagnosed with foraminal and far lateral thoracolumbar intervertebral disc herniations between 2009 and 2020 in seven referral hospitals. RESULTS: Thirty-seven dogs were included. Dachshunds and mixed breeds were most affected. Median age at presentation and duration of clinical signs were 6 years and 14 days, respectively. Pain was the most frequent clinical finding (92%), particularly on spinal palpation and/or hip manipulation, followed by pelvic limb lameness (71%). Eighty-seven percent of herniations occurred at L5-L6 or L6-L7. A good to excellent outcome was seen in 95% of surgically and 90% of medically treated dogs. CONCLUSION: Although much less frequently recognised than herniation affecting the vertebral canal, foraminal and far lateral thoracolumbar intervertebral disc herniations should be considered in the differential diagnosis list of chondrodystrophic dogs presenting with pain and pelvic limb lameness. Most dogs had a good to excellent outcome following medical or surgical treatment.

Performance of the Sysmex XN-V body fluid module for canine cerebrospinal fluid cell count.

BACKGROUND: Microscopic cell counts and nucleated cell identification are the "gold standard" for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) assessments and are labor intensive and subject to operator variability. The use of automated methods could be an alternative to the current manual technique. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess the utility of the Sysmex XN-V body fluid (BF) module analyzer to count and differentiate nucleated cells in canine CSF and evaluate the accuracy and correlation between this and the manual method. METHODS: We prospectively analyzed 150 CSF samples from dogs using the Sysmex XN-V BF module and compared the results with those obtained using the manual counting method. We also evaluated the linearity, detection limits, and imprecision of the Sysmex XN-V BF module. RESULTS: The Sysmex XN-V BF module analyzer performance had a sensitivity of 92.59% and specificity of 94.30%. The lower limit of quantification for the total nucleated cell count (TNCC) was 0 cells/µL. A Pearson´s correlation coefficient of 0.945 was found between both methods for TNCC, with 0.997 and 0.940 for samples with TNCC >10 cells/µL and TNCC >5 cells/µL, respectively. The correlation coefficient for the mononuclear and polymorphonuclear differential cell count was -0.031 and -0.019, respectively, and it was 0.576 for the RBC count. CONCLUSIONS: The Sysmex XN-V BF module provides reliable TNCCs for canine CSF, even for samples with low cell numbers, but manual cytologic evaluation is still needed for differential cell counts.

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. METHODS: Multicentric retrospective case series. Signalment, clinicopathologic findings, diagnostic imaging characteristics, treatment, and outcome were used. Tumors were reclassified according to the new canine glioma diagnostic scheme. RESULTS: No associations were found between clinicopathologic findings or survival and tumor type or grade. However, definitive treatments provided significantly (P = .03) improved median survival time (84 days; 95% confidence interval [CI], 45-190) compared to palliative treatment (26 days; 95% CI, 11-54). On magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), oligodendrogliomas were associated with smooth margins and T1-weighted hypointensity compared to astrocytomas (odds ratio [OR], 42.5; 95% CI, 2.42-744.97; P = .04; OR, 45.5; 95% CI, 5.78-333.33; P < .001, respectively) and undefined gliomas (OR, 84; 95% CI, 3.43-999.99; P = .02; OR, 32.3; 95% CI, 2.51-500.00; P = .008, respectively) and were more commonly in contact with the ventricles than astrocytomas (OR, 7.47; 95% CI, 1.03-53.95; P = .049). Tumor spread to neighboring brain structures was associated with high-grade glioma (OR, 6.02; 95% CI, 1.06-34.48; P = .04). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Dogs with gliomas have poor outcomes, but risk factors identified in survival analysis inform prognosis and the newly identified MRI characteristics could refine diagnosis of tumor type and grade.

Paradoxical Vestibular Syndrome Caused by a Presumptive Cerebellar Infarction in a Rabbit.

A 6-year-old, female spayed rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) presented with right paradoxical vestibular signs. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed and findings were consistent with an ischemic infarct of the cerebellum. The patient improved gradually and was free of clinical signs at the time this article was written. To the authors' knowledge this is the first case report of a paradoxical vestibular syndrome in a rabbit secondary to a presumptive ischemic infarct. Strokes should be included in the differential diagnosis of central vestibular syndrome in rabbits.

Constrictive myelopathy secondary to caudal articular vertebral process dysplasia in West Highland white terrier dogs.

Clinical signs, imaging findings and long-term follow-up of 3 West Highland white terrier dogs with constrictive myelopathy secondary to caudal articular vertebral process dysplasia are described. Clinical signs were consistent with an acute or chronic T3-L3 myelopathy in all dogs. Diagnostic imaging revealed hypoplasia or aplasia of the caudal articular vertebral processes, extradural compressive myelographic pattern (hourglass-like pattern) with a reduced diameter of the spinal cord, and focal thickening of extradural soft tissues. Medical treatment initially improved the clinical signs in 2 dogs; however, mild proprioceptive deficits remained in all cases. Key clinical message: Constrictive myelopathy secondary to caudal articular vertebral process dysplasia in West Highland white terrier dogs should be considered as a differential diagnosis of an acute or chronic T3-L3 myelopathy in this breed.

Myélopathie constrictive secondaire à une dysplasie du processus articulaire caudal vertébral chez des chiens terriers West Highland white. Les signes cliniques, les trouvailles en imagerie et le suivi à longterme de trois chiens West Highland white avec myélopathie constrictive secondaire à une dysplasie du processus articulaire caudal vertébral sont décrits. Les signes cliniques étaient compatibles avec une myélopathie aiguë ou chronique au niveau T3­L3 chez tous les chiens. L'imagerie diagnostique a révélé une hypoplasie ou une aplasie des processus articulaires caudaux vertébraux, un patron myélographique de compression extra-dural (patron en sablier) avec un diamètre réduit de la moëlle épinière, et épaississement focal des tissus mous extra-duraux. Un traitement médical permis une amélioration des signes cliniques chez deux des chiens; toutefois, des déficits légers de proprioception ont persisté dans tous les cas.Message clinique clé:Une myélopathie constrictive secondaire à une dysplasie du processus articulaire caudal vertébral chez des chiens terriers West Highland white devrait être considérée comme un diagnostic différentiel d'une myélopathie aiguë ou chronique de T3­L3 chez cette race.(Traduit par Dr Serge Messier).

Efficacy of medium chain triglyceride oil dietary supplementation in reducing seizure frequency in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy without cluster seizures: a non-blinded, prospective clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Despite appropriate antiseizure drug (ASD) treatment, around two-thirds of dogs with idiopathic epilepsy (IE) have seizures long-term and 20-30per cent of affected dogs remain poorly controlled. METHODS: The current study aim is to test in a field trial the efficacy and tolerability of a commercially available diet enriched with 6.5per cent medium chain triglyceride (MCT) oil in dogs (n=21) with at least a tier 1 idiopathic epilepsy diagnosis, without cluster seizures, in 10 veterinary practices across Europe. Each dog's quality of life (QoL), ataxia, sedation and frequency and severity of seizures were recorded by owners throughout the study. RESULTS: The mean seizure frequency per month, averaged over the entire 84-day study, significantly (P=0.04) decreased 32per cent compared with the baseline monthly seizure frequency recorded during the month immediately before feeding the diet. Similarly, the seizure days rate (days/month) also declined (P<0.001) by 42per cent. QoL was reported as very good to excellent (>8.5/10) in 20 of the 21 dogs before starting the diet and this remained unchanged during the trial. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the use of a diet enriched with MCTs as an adjunct to ASD treatment may have some antiseizure properties for dogs diagnosed with IE, as demonstrated in previous studies.

A glycine transporter SLC6A5 frameshift mutation causes startle disease in Spanish greyhounds.

Startle disease, or hyperekplexia, is a glycinergic disorder characterized by hypertonia and apnea that is triggered by noise and/or touch. Mutations in five genes have been associated with startle disease in humans, dogs, cattle, and mice. We identified a novel recessive startle disease in a family of Spanish greyhounds. Whole genome resequencing of an affected dog revealed a homozygous two base pair deletion in the ninth exon of SLC6A5, encoding the presynaptic glycine transporter. The deletion is predicted to cause a frameshift, p.S460FfsX47, leading to a premature stop codon that truncates over a third of the protein. Family members were genotyped for the deletion, and findings were consistent with an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. The pathogenic variant was absent from 34 unrelated greyhounds, 659 domestic dogs of pure and mixed breeds, and 54 wild canids, suggesting it occurred recently and may be private to the family. The findings of this study can be used to inform future breeding decisions and prevent dissemination of the deleterious allele in greyhounds.

Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomographic characteristics of a glioma causing calvarial erosion in a dog.

An 8-year-old female Boxer was examined for acute onset of seizures. On magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), an intra-axial mass with imaging features consistent with glioma was observed in the right cerebral hemisphere. A defect in the temporal bone adjacent to the mass was observed. Postmortem computed tomography (CT) confirmed temporal bone osteolysis and necropsy demonstrated a glioblastoma with associated calvarial erosion. Although occasionally described in human medicine, to our knowledge, this is the first description of a brain glioma causing calvarial erosion in a dog. Glioma should be included as a differential diagnosis for intracranial lesions that could cause bony changes in the skull.

Myelographic and low-field magnetic resonance imaging findings in dogs with presumptive acute hydrated non-compressive nucleus pulposus extrusion.

MRI is considered gold standard for the diagnosis of presumptive acute hydrated non-compressive nucleus pulposus extrusions (AHNCNPE). This retrospective study describes the myelographic findings in dogs with AHNCNPE diagnosed by low-field MRI and their association with neurological grade, need of surgical decompression and outcome. Forty-two myelographies (21 dogs with presumptive AHNCNPE, 21 dogs with Hansen type I disc disease herniation) were blindly evaluated. Site of herniation, compression pattern, ratio of length of the lesion to length of the second lumbar vertebra (LL:L2) and degree of spinal cord compression (SCC) were measured on the myelographies of dogs with presumptive AHNCNPE and were compared with the corresponding MRI features. Percentage of extruded volume of nucleus pulposus (VNP) was calculated on MR images. Myelographic interobserver agreement for presumptive diagnosis of AHNCNPE was almost perfect (κ=0.8). Accuracy of myelography to detect site of herniation was 80.9 per cent and to identify extradural compression was 57.1 per cent. Mean SCC was 5.8±2.6 per cent for myelography and 6.6±3 per cent for MRI. Mean LL:L2 ratio was 1.7±0.9 for myelography and 1.2±0.8 for MRI. Mean percentage of extruded VNP was 40±14 per cent, and it was positively associated with neurological grade.

Presence of neural progenitors in spontaneous canine gliomas: A histopathological and immunohistochemical study of 20 cases.

Gliomas are the most common primary brain tumours in humans and are associated with a poor prognosis. An accurate animal model of human glioma tumorigenesis is needed to test new treatment strategies. Dogs represent a promising model because they develop spontaneous diffusely-infiltrating gliomas. This study investigated whether spontaneous canine gliomas contain cancer stem cells previously identified in all grades of human gliomas. Twenty spontaneous cases of canine gliomas were graded according to the human WHO classification. The expression of different markers of lineage differentiation was evaluated with immunohistochemistry as follows: nestin and CD133 for neural stem cells, doublecortin for neuronal progenitor cells, Olig2 for glial progenitor cells, glial fibrillary acidic protein, vimentin and S-100 for mature glial cells, and NeuN and ßIII-tubulin for mature neurons. Gliomas were characterised as follows: five grade II (oligodendrogliomas); nine grade III (seven anaplastic oligodendrogliomas, one anaplastic astrocytoma, one anaplastic oligoastrocytoma); six grade IV (glioblastomas). Immunohistochemical evaluation revealed that (1) nestin and CD133 were expressed in all grades of gliomas with a higher proportion of positive cells in high-grade gliomas; (2) the expression of S-100 protein and Olig2 did not differ substantially between astrocytic and oligodendroglial tumours, and (3) all gliomas were negative for mature neuron markers. The results demonstrated the presence of undifferentiated neural progenitors in all grades of spontaneous canine gliomas, confirming the relevance of this animal model for further studies on cancer stem cells.

Canine intracranial meningiomas: Immunohistochemical evaluation of tissue factor, fibrin/fibrinogen and D-dimers.

The haemostatic system influences angiogenesis, cell growth and metastasis in solid tumours. The aim of this study was to investigate tissue factor (TF) expression, fibrin/fibrinogen and D-dimer deposition, as well as the occurrence of intravascular thrombosis (IVT) in canine intracranial meningiomas using immunohistochemistry. All but three (26/29) meningiomas expressed TF. TF immunolabelling was significantly higher in high-grade (grades II and III) than in low-grade (grade I) meningiomas. Fibrin/fibrinogen and D-dimer deposits were detected in all meningiomas and staining scores were statistically different between different meningioma grades. IVT was detected in 19/29 specimens, but no statistical differences were observed between different malignancy grades. In conclusion, the haemostatic system may be involved in meningioma pathobiology and may be a potential therapeutic target for canine meningiomas, as also suggested for human meningiomas.