Neurology Flashcards
Grades for classic disc extrusion
Grade 1
- pain without neurologic deficits
- palpation of spinal cord: pain
Grade 2
- pain + paresis + ataxia
- different grades of paraparesis, can walk
- proprioceptive deficits present
Grade 3
- pronounced paraparesis
- cannot walk without support
- voluntary movements only with support
Grade 4
- paraplegia
- no voluntary movements even with support
Grade 5
- grade 4 + problems with urination
- bladder overflow
Grade 6
- grade 5 + loss of deep pain sensation
diagnosis for degenerative disease of disc
- based upon NE we perform:
o diagnostic imaging: native radiography, contrast radiography, CT, MRI
o CSF (rarely)
treatment of disc
Conservative
- only grade 1 and grade 2 owners should sign that they were warned that surgery has better outcome for higher grades
- cage confinement - small cage: 3-4 weeks
- wait for fibrosis and cicatrisation
- should offer hospitalisation
- medications: 0.5-1mg/kg sid prednisolone + PPI
Surgically
neurapraxia
- Temporary loss of sensory and motoric function due to stop in impulse conduction
axonotmesis
- Detachment of axons from neuron body, with distal Wallerian degeneration, Schwann envelop and endoneurium are preserved: regeneration 1mm/day
neurotmesis
- Complete detachment, can but it doesn’t have to be regeneration, frequently results in neuroma formation
degenerative myelopathy
Thoracolumbal part of spine
slowly, progressive adult-onset neurodegenerative disease causing paralysis
predisposition of degenerative myelopathy
dogs usually > 5 yr, extremely rare in young GSH
cause of degenerative myelopathy
inherited disease
pathogenesis of degenerative myelopathy
Progressive loss of myeline, slowly progressive clinical signs: from loss of proprioception to further deficits.
signs of degenerative myelopathy
slowly progressive muscular atrophy. late in course of disease: faecal and/or urinary incontinence. Severe symptoms after 6-12mo
diagnosis of degenerative myelopathy
- clinical signs + exclusion of other possible disease
- neurology: signs of dragging of nails, difficulty jumping, asymmetric signs of loss of coordination and weakness in the pelvic limbs (do proprioception test, spunal reflexes, cranial nerve)
- CSF: normal or slightly increased proteins
- myelography, CT and MRI: normal findings
- definitive diagnosis: histopathology: IgG, C3 complement
treatment of degenerative myelopathy
- Aminokaproic acid: 15mg/kg PO tid
- Vitamin E 20000IJ sid, Vitamin B12
- Glucocorticoids only for acute worsening
- Intensive physiotherapy
prognosis of degenerative myelopathy
long-term poor; most dogs are nonambulatory by 10-12 months after onset of signs
monitoring of degenerative myelopathy
clinical signs are monitored by the neurologic examination
predisposition of disconspondilitis
young animals or larger breeds, more common in cats
cause of discospondilitis
: trauma and iatrogenic, S. aureus, a. pseudintermedius, brucella canis…
signs of discoponsidilitis
pain, neurologic deficits, signs of infection, NE: pain upon palpation +/- neurologic deficits, anorexia, depression, reluctance to move, lameness, paresis/ataxia
diagnosis of discospondilitis
X-ray, urine and blood culture, CSF, contrast radiography, MRI
treatment of discosponsilidit
ATB (4-8weeks), cephalexin, analgesia, surgically: disc curettage, decompression and stabilisation, NSAIDs
prognosis of discospondilitis
early diagnostics and adequate TH: good. Chronic course of the disease, fungi, neurologic symptoms: guarded to poor
monitoring of discospondilitis
repeat blood and urine culture, repeat radiographs
differentials of discpondilitis
meningitis/myelitis, intervertebral disc disease, spondylitis, trauma, neoplasia
definition of epilepsy
disease of brain characterised by enduring predisposition to generate epileptic seizures. 2 unprovoked > 24 hr apart
- most common neurological disease
a neurological disorder marked by sudden recurrent episodes of sensory disturbance, loss of consciousness, or convulsions, associated with abnormal electrical activity in the brain.