Neuro - pathology Flashcards

1
Q

What does myel- refer to?

A

Spinal cord

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2
Q

What doe polio- refer to?

A

Grey matter

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3
Q

What does leuko- refer to?

A

White matter

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4
Q

What does radiculo- refer to?

A

Spinal nerve roots

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5
Q

What does malacia mean?

A

Area of softening due to necrosis

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6
Q

What is the name of the myelinating cells of the CNS?

A

Oligodendrocytes

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7
Q

What are the gaps between the schwann cells?

A

Nodes of ranvier

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8
Q

What are the 3 main features to note about neurones?

A

High energy demand for O2 and glucose - lots of active transport
Limited energy reserve capacity
Lost neurones are not replaced

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9
Q

What are the two morphological changes of the neuronal cell body to injury?

A

Chromatolysis
Neuronal necrosis

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10
Q

What are the two morphological changes of axons to cell injury?

A

Axonal degeneration (wallerian degeneration)
Axonal regeneration

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11
Q

What is chromatolysis? What are its characteristics?

A

Degenerative change of the neuronal cell body, characterised by:
Swollen cell body
Dispersion/loss of Nissl substance
Nucleus displaced peripherally

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12
Q

What are the two consequences of chromatolysis?

A

May be reversible
May progress to cell death

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13
Q

What is neuronal necrosis? What are its characteristics?

A

Cell body change following irreversible injury
Deeply eosinophilic
Condensed nucleus (pyknosis)
Shrunken/swollen
Angular cytoplasm

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14
Q

What are the consequences of neuronal necrosis?

A

Death of cell body results in degeneration of the axon
Necrotic neurones are cleared by phagocytes

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15
Q

What is axonal/Wallerian degeneration?

A

Axon injury from traumatic cut or compression
Axon degenerates back to the next node of Ranvier proximal to injury site and distal to injury site
Cell body undergoes chromatolysis

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16
Q

What is the time course of axonal/Wallerian degeneration?

A

Hours - axonal swellings
Days - fragmentation of axon/myelin
Weeks/months (PNS) to months/years (CNS) - axonal and myelin debris removed by phagocytes within digestion chambers

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17
Q

What does axonal regeneration require?

A

Being in the PNS (doesnt happen in CNS)
Requires the cell body to be intact
Requires integrity of the endoneurial tube distal to the site of injury

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18
Q

What grow during axonal regeneration?

A

Schwann cells form columns in endoneurial tube
Axonal sprouts grow along endoneurial tube and is remyelinated

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19
Q

What are the 3 outcomes of axonal regeneration?

A

1 - Restored function
2 - Axon regeneration without restored function
3 - Unsuccessful regeneration and neuronal atrophy

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20
Q

What causes axonal regeneration without restored function?

A

Endoneurial tubes misaligned

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21
Q

What can cause unsuccessful axonal regeneration and neuronal atrophy?

A

Fibrosis blocking axonal stump
Loss of integrity of endoneurial tube

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22
Q

Why is there no/very limited axonal regeneration in the CNS?

A

Lack of scaffold - no endoneurium for sprouts to follow
Oligodendrocytes dont form columns like the schwann cells do
Axonal sprouting inhibited

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23
Q

What inflammatory infiltrate do bacterial and fungal infections cause?

A

Suppurative - neutrophils

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24
Q

What inflammatory infiltrate do viral infections cause?

A

Non-suppurative - lymphocytes, plasma cells, macrophages

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25
Q

What is granulomatous inflammatory infiltrate made up of?

A

macrophages

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26
Q

What inflammatory infiltrate do protozoal and helminth infections cause?

A

Eosinophilic

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27
Q

What is perivascular cuffing?

A

During inflammation around the CNS, inflammatory cells are concentrated around the blood vessels

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28
Q

What are the macrophage equivalent in the CNS?

A

Microglia - resident phagocytes

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29
Q

What are the large foamy blood derived macrophages in the CNS called?

A

Gitter cells

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30
Q

What cells are the main cells involved in repair of the CNS?

A

Astrocytes - can form a scar
(microglia also help heal)

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31
Q

Where are fibroblasts only present in the CNS?

A

In the meninges

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32
Q

What are the 3 causes of brain swelling?

A

Space occupying lesions
Congestive brain swelling
Brain oedema

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33
Q

What are the 3 main mechanisms of brain oedema?

A

Vasogenic oedema
Interstitial oedema
Cytotoxic oedema

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34
Q

What is vasogenic oedema? What can cause it?

A

Blood brain barrier disruption causes fluid to move from vasculature into neuroparenchyma
Secondary to inflammation, infarction, trauma

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35
Q

What is interstitial oedema? What can cause it?

A

Increased ventricular cerebrospinal fluid pressure forces CSF into the parenchyma
Associated with hydrocephalus

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36
Q

What is cytotoxic oedema? What can cause it?

A

Cellular swelling due to disturbed cellular fluid homeostasis
Toxic or metabolic disease

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37
Q

What is coning of the cerebellar vermis?

A

When the cerebellum herniates through the foramen magnus of the cranium

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38
Q

What does the occipital cortex herniate through?

A

Tentorium cerebelli

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39
Q

What are the main types of pathological processes that can affect the nervous system?

A

VITAMIN D
DAMNIT TV

40
Q

What are the main types of pathological processes that can affect the nervous system?

A

VITAMIN D
DAMNIT TV

41
Q

What are some anomalous causes of nervous system pathologies?

A

Cerebellar malformations
Hypdrocephalus
Syringomyelia
Chiari-like malformation

42
Q

What can cause congenital malformations of the brain/nervous system?

A

Viral infections
Nutritional deficiencies
Genetics
Toxins/drugs

43
Q

What can cause cerebellar malformations?

A

Primary - idiopathic
Secondary - viral infection
eg. Feline parvovirus, schmallenberg, BVD

44
Q

What are the two mechanisms/causes of hydrocephalus?

A

Obstructive - blocked CSF flow
Compensatory - loss/absence of parenchyma so CSF fills space eg. necrosis of neural tissue in utero

45
Q

What is a common site of obstruction in congenital obstructive hypdrocephalus?

A

Mesencephalic aqueduct

46
Q

What diseases can cause congenital compensatory hypdrocephalus?

A

Schmallenberg virus
Bluetongue virus
Feline parvovirus (panleukopenia)

47
Q

What can cause obstructive hydrocephalus?

A

Space occupying lesion
Inflammatory exudate from inflammation

48
Q

What is syringomyelia?

A

Fluid filled cystic cavity in the spinal cord parenchyma

49
Q

What is hydromyelia?

A

Dilation of the central canal in the spinal cord

50
Q

What is occipital bone(Chiari-like) malformation?

A

When the brain skull caudal fossa is too small to hold cerebellum
Cerebellum herniates through foramen magnum

51
Q

What is the main degenerative neuropathy that we need to know?

A

Age-related degenerative myelopathy - in dogs
(also known as chronic degenerative radiculomyelopathy)

52
Q

What dogs are predisposed to Age-related degenerative myelopathy

A

Middle aged-older dogs
German shepherd dog predisposed

53
Q

What is Age-related degenerative myelopathy? Where is most affected?

A

Axonal loss and myelin degeneration over time
Thoracic portion of spinal cord most affected - hind limb ataxia and weakness

54
Q

What are the most common causes of metabolic/toxic nerve disorders?

A

Nutritional deficiencies - copper, thiamine
Endogenous toxins - hepatic encephalopathy
Exogenous toxins - tetanus, botulism

55
Q

What is the pattern of lesions seen in the CNS from metabolic/toxic disorders?

A

Bilaterally symmetrical

56
Q

What is copper deficiency called in sheep? What are the two kinds?

A

Swayback - congenital form
Enzootic ataxia - delayed form

57
Q

Where are lesions seen in the CNS from solely swayback?

A

Cerebral lesions only - bilaterally symmetrical cerebral white matter cavitation/softening/degeneration

58
Q

What lesions are seen in the CNS from swayback and enzootic ataxia?

A

Bilaterally symmetrical white matter degeneration in brain stem and spinal cord

59
Q

What is the name of thiamine deficiency in ruminants?

A

Poliocephalomalacia
Cerebro-cortical necrosis (CCN)

60
Q

What lesions are caused by thiamine deficiency?

A

Bilaterally symmetrical cerebrocortical necrosis

61
Q

How does thiamine cause cerebrocortical necrosis?

A

Thiamine is used as a cofactor in carb metabolism - needed to make ATP
Reduced ATP causes neuronal necrosis and astrocyte dysfunction

62
Q

How does thiamine deficiency arise?

A

From overgrowth of thiaminase-producing bacteria in the rumen
Ingestion of thiaminase-containing plants eg. bracken

63
Q

How can you identify thiiamine deficiency/cerebrocortical necrosis?

A

Bilaterally symmetrical lesions
Flattening of gyri
Yellow discoloration of the grey matter
Shows autofluorescence under UV light

64
Q

What counts as a primary tumour of nervous system?

A

Cells from neuroectodermal origin

65
Q

What does multiple tumours in CNS suggest?

A

Metastatic spread from another site

66
Q

What tumour is it likely to be if it is on the inner aspect of the brain?

A

Choroid plexus or ependymal cell origin

67
Q

What tumour is it likely to be if it is on the outer aspect of the brain?

A

Meningioma

68
Q

What tumour is it likely to be if it is in the parenchyma of the brain?

A

Glial cell/astrocyte tumours - tend to be diffuse

69
Q

What tumour of the CNS has a gelatinous and greyish translucent appearance?

A

Oligodendroglioma

70
Q

What is the most common tumour of the CNS?

A

Meningioma - slow growing lobulated white/tan coloured mass

71
Q

What are 3 causes of random non-symmetrical vascular lesions in the CNS?

A

Infarctions
Thromboembolism
Vasculitis

72
Q

What can cause global hypoxic-ischaemic injury in the brain?

A

Anaesthetic accidents
Asphyxiation
Severe anaemia
Cardiac arrest
Hypovolaemic shock

73
Q

What regions of the brain are most sensitive to hypoxic-ischaemic injury?

A

Cerebral cortex
Hippocampus
Cerebellar purkinje cells

74
Q

What are the routes of entry of infectious agents into the nervous system?

A

Haematogenous
Via CSF
Axonal transport
Direct extention from adjacent tissues

75
Q

What causes purulent meningitis?

A

Haematogenous bacterial infection causing lesions in meninges, purulent exudate pooling in sulci

76
Q

What animals in purulent meningitis most common in?

A

Neonates/juvenile large animals (lack of colostrum)

77
Q

What is listerial encephalitis?

A

Encephalitis from spoiled silage, invades oral mucosa, infects trigeminal nerve and spreads to brainstem
In ruminants

78
Q

What can be seen on histology from infectious brainstem lesions?

A

Microabcesses
Perivascular cuffing

79
Q

What viruses can cause CNS infections?

A

Malignant catarrhal fever
Canine distemper virus
FIP
Rabies
Equine herpes virus
Louping ill

80
Q

What are the main changes to the CNS from viral encephalitis?

A

Non-suppurative inflammation
Grey matter most affected
Congenital malformations

81
Q

What is the most common cause of CNS inflammation in cats?

A

Feline infectious peritonitis

82
Q

What parasite causes CNS signs in sheep?

A

Taenia multiceps

83
Q

What protozoa cause inflammation in CNS in dogs, progressing to polyradiculoneuritis and hind limb paralysis?

A

Neospora caninum
Toxoplasma gondii

84
Q

What are some immune mediated neurological diseases in dogs?

A

Necrotising/granulomatous/eosinophilic encephalitis/meningoencephalitis

85
Q

What is an immune mediated neurological disease in horses?

A

Polyneuritis equi

86
Q

What causes of CNS disease cause non suppurative inflammation?

A

Viral
Protozoal
Autoimmune/idiopathic

87
Q

What are the 3 different types of CNS trauma?

A

Contusion - transient deformation, haemorrhage but tissue intact
Laceration - disruption of tissue
Compression - persistent deformation of tissue

88
Q

What is the area of impact on the skull called?

A

The coup

89
Q

What is the term for when the skull accelerates faster than the brain?

A

Inertia

90
Q

What are the primary and secondary brain injuries from blunt trauma?

A

Primary - initial forces, nervous tissue and vascular injury
Secondary - Altered blood flow, ischaemia, oedena, herniation

91
Q

What is the most common cause of spinal cord trauma?

A

Intervertebral disc herniation

92
Q

What is hansen type 1 prolapse of the intervertebral disc?

A

Rupture of the dorsal annulus and massive extrusion of nucleus pulposus into the spinal canal
Causes sudden traumatic contusion and compressive injury to the spinal cord

93
Q

What is hansen type 2 prolapse of the intervertebral disc?

A

partial rupture or bulging of the nucleus pulposus into the spinal canal
Slower onset
Compression of spinal cord

94
Q

Which type of intervertebral disc prolapse is seen in what type of dogs?

A

Type 1 - young chondrodystrophic breeds
Type 2 - middle and older aged
non-chondrodystrophic dog breeds

95
Q

What is neuropraxia when classifying peripheral nerve injury?

A

Compressive injury causes local demyelination - nerve remain intact but conduction interrupted
No wallerian degeneration - will gain function back but takes hours to months

96
Q

What is axonotmesis when classifying peripheral nerve injury?

A

Axon disruption but preservation of the connective tissues
Wallerian degeneration distal to the injury
Regeneration takes months to years

97
Q

What is neurotmesis when classifying peripheral nerve injury?

A

Axon disruption and partial or complete disruption of the connective tissues
Wallerian degeneration distal to injury
Regeneration may not be possible depending on severity