Françoise Delisle

Unusual Case of Osteopenia Associated With Nutritional Calcium and Vitamin D Deficiency in an Adult Dog

A 6-year-old, spayed female rottweiler was presented for facial enlargement from swelling of the maxilla and mandible. The dog was fed a homemade diet deficient in calcium and vitamin D, suggesting that rubber jaw syndrome was a secondary nutritional disorder. Radiographic and tomodensitometric examinations revealed diffuse bone resorption in the skull. The plasma parathormone concentration was high, and serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol concentration was low. Based on these findings, nutritional calcium and vitamin D deficiency associated with secondary hyperparathyroidism was diagnosed. Dietary correction resulted in clinical and biological improvement, with an increase in skull mineralization.

Trilostane therapy for hyperadrenocorticism in three dogs with adrenocortical metastasis.

IN dogs, more than half of the adrenal tumours responsible for hyperadrenocorticism are malignant ([Reusch and Feldman 1991][1]). They can be metastasised by the time of diagnosis or after surgical resection. Medical management is therefore required to control the clinical signs. Trilostane is an

Electrophysiological features in dogs with peripheral nerve sheath tumors: 51 cases (1993–2010)

OBJECTIVE To determine the electrophysiological changes in dogs with peripheral nerve sheath tumors (PNSTs), evaluate the prevalence of these changes, assess the correlation between spontaneous activity in epaxial muscles and proximal invasion by the tumor, and evaluate whether knowledge of electrophysiological changes could be helpful in the imaging diagnosis via CT or MRI. DESIGN Retrospective case series. ANIMALS 51 dogs with a histologic (n = 18) or a suspected (33) diagnosis of PNST. PROCEDURES Clinical, postmortem, and histologic reports and details of electrodiagnostic procedures and CT or MRI reports were studied. Twenty-four CT and 6 MRI reports for dogs with PNSTs were reviewed by a single observer blinded to the diagnosis. RESULTS Only 2 of the 51 dogs had no electrophysiological changes. The most commonly affected muscles were those innervated by the radial, ulnar, median, tibial-sciatic, and peroneal nerves. Abnormal spontaneous epaxial muscle activity was significantly more frequent in the group with foraminal or spinal invasion by the tumors. Knowledge of the electrophysiological changes increased diagnostic accuracy of CT. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results suggested that electrophysiological studies may be sensitive for the detection of PNST and helpful in the imaging diagnosis. Epaxial electromyographic abnormalities appeared to be predictive for intervertebral or vertebral canal invasion by PNSTs in dogs.

Use of Computed Tomography Adrenal Gland Measurement for Differentiating ACTH Dependence from ACTH Independence in 64 Dogs with Hyperadenocorticism

BACKGROUND The measurement of adrenal gland size on computed tomography (CT) scan has been proposed for the etiological diagnosis of hyperadrenocorticism (HAC) in dogs. Symmetric adrenal glands are considered to provide evidence for ACTH-dependent hyperadrenocorticism (ADHAC), whereas asymmetry suggests ACTH-independent hyperadrenocorticism (AIHAC). However, there are currently no validated criteria for such differentiation. OBJECTIVE The aim of this retrospective study was to compare various adrenal CT scan measurements and the derived ratios in ADHAC and AIHAC cases, and to validate criteria for distinguishing between these conditions in a large cohort of dogs. ANIMALS Sixty-four dogs with HAC (46 ADHAC, 18 AIHAC). METHODS Dogs with confirmed HAC and unequivocal characterization of its origin were included. Linear measurements of adrenal glands were made on both cross-sectional and reformatted images. RESULTS An overlap was systematically observed between the AIHAC and ADHAC groups for all measurements tested. Overlaps also were observed for ratios tested. For the maximum adrenal diameter ratio derived from reformatted images (rADR), only 1/18 AIHAC dogs had a rADR within the range for ADHAC. For a threshold of 2.08, the 95% confidence intervals for estimated sensitivity and specificity extended from 0.815 to 1.000 and from 0.885 to 0.999, respectively, for AIHAC diagnosis. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE Measurements from cross-sectional or reformatted CT scans are of little use for determining the origin of HAC. However, rADR appears to distinguish accurately between ADHAC and AIHAC, with a rADR > 2.08 highly suggestive of AIHAC.

Chronic traumatic brain injury in a dog.

Chronic traumatic brain injury is rare in man and has not been previously documented in dogs. This report describes a 2-year-old female American Staffordshire bull terrier that was referred with forelimb and hindlimb ataxia, decreased vigilance and disorientation following repeated aggression and physical abuse by its owner. A diffuse cortical lesion was suspected. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed neutrophilic pleocytosis and computed tomography showed marked widening of the cerebral sulci with mild bilateral ventriculomegaly. The dog was humanely destroyed in view of the poor prognosis. Necropsy examination revealed narrowing of the cerebral cortical gyri and consequent widening of the sulci without distortion or displacement of the neural parenchyma. These features were consistent with bilateral diffuse cortical atrophy. Microscopically, there were chronic subarachnoid haemorrhages and the cortical subpial layer displayed spongiosis, capillary hyperplasia, astrocytosis, microgliosis and frequent neuronal necrosis occurring in a characteristic laminar pattern. This histopathological pattern of damage was significantly different from that previously described in people suffering from repeated traumatic brain injuries over a long period of time.

Progressive Myelopathy Due to a Spontaneous Intramedullary Hematoma in a Dog: Pre- and Postoperative Clinical and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Follow-up

A 4-year-old, male Jack Russell terrier was presented for a 6-month history of progressive right hemiparesis with episodic cervical hyperesthesia. The neurological examination showed a right-sided, upper motoneuron syndrome and partial Horners syndrome. Two magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations were performed 3 months apart and revealed a persistent cervical intramedullary hematoma. A dorsal myelotomy was performed. A subacute hematoma was confirmed histologically without underlying lesions. Eighteen months later, the dogs clinical signs were minimal. Two MRI examinations were performed 2 weeks and 5 months after surgery and revealed regressing signal abnormalities at the surgical site, consistent with a surgical scar.

Survival times for cats with hyperthyroidism treated with a 3.35 mCi iodine-131 dose: a retrospective study of 96 cases:

Objectives Radioiodine (131I) dose determination using radiotracer kinetic studies or scoring systems, and fixed relatively high 131I dose (ie, 4 or 5 mCi) administration, are effective and associated with prolonged survival times for hyperthyroid cats. The latter method is less complicated but could expose patients and veterinary personnel to unnecessary levels of radiation. The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the efficacy of a fixed 3.35 mCi 131I dose for the treatment of 96 hyperthyroid cats with no length estimation for any palpated goitre ⩾20 mm, assess outcome and identify factors associated with survival. Methods Serum total thyroxine concentrations at diagnosis and at follow-up times, survival times and cause of death were recorded. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with time to any cause of death from 131I therapy initiation. Results Administration of a median (interquartile range) dose of 3.35 mCi (3.27–3.44 mCi) radioiodine was an effective treatment in 94/96 cats, but two cats remained hyperthyroid. No death related to hyperthyroidism was recorded. Median survival time was 3.0 years; the 1 and 2 year survival rates after 131I therapy were 90% and 78%, respectively. Low body weight (⩽3.1 kg; adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 5.88; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.22–16.67; P <0.01) and male gender (aHR 2.63; 95% CI 1.01–7.14; P = 0.04) were independently associated with death, whereas age, prior treatment with antithyroid drugs, reason for treatment and pretreatment azotaemia were not. Conclusions and relevance This study suggests that a fixed 3.35 mCi 131I dose treatment is effective for hyperthyroid cats with goitre(s) with a maximal length estimation <20 mm, that long-term survival can be achieved and that low body weight and male gender are significantly associated with shorter survival times.