Neuropathy Flashcards
(26 cards)
What are the layers of the meninges from deep to superficial?
- Pia
- Thin
- Arachnoid
- Spider-like
- Thin
- Dura
- Thick
Where are the astrocytes found and what is their function?
- Found in the central nervous system
- Functions
- Structural- create blood-brain barrier and supportive framework for neurons
- Insulates synapses
- Mildly phagocytic
- Metabolic functions
- Monitor and regulate interstitial fluid surrounding neurons
- Transmit information to each other
- Stimulate the formation of scar tissue
Where are the microglia found and what is their function?
- Phagocytes of the CNS- similar to macrophages
- Brain will recruit if infection present
- Smallest of the glial cells
- Cigar-shaped when reactive
Where are the oligodendrocytes found? What are their functions?
- Produce myelin in the CNS
- Surround few axonal processes
- Injury will cause demyelination
Where are the ependymal cells found? What is their function?
- Found in the CNS
- Cuboidal cells
- Line cavities and ventricals of CNS
- CSF production
- Barrier functions
- Give rise to epithelial layer that surrounds the choroid plexu
Where are the Schwann cells found and what is their function?
- Myelinate axons in the PNS
- Surround all axons of neurons in the PNS
- One schwann cell can myelinate many axons
- Wraps around a cell and squeeze out the cytoplasm so that all that is left is the myelin sheath
Where are the satelite cells found and what is their function?
- Support cells in the PNS, mainly in ganglia
- PNS equivalent of astrocytes
Why are neurons vulnerable to injury?
- They have a high metabolic rate
- They have little energy storage
- They have to take care of their axon
- The axon has no nissl substance
- Cannot make protein
- Cannot dispose of own waste
- The axon has no nissl substance
What is being pictured here? In what condition will this be seen?

- Chromatolysis of neuronal cells
- Cells get bigger
- Adaptive response to injury
- Does not usually resolve
- Seen in equine grass sickness
What is being depicted here? What can cause this condition?

- Neuronal wallarian degeneration
- Cells fall apart
- Breakdown of a nerve fibre distal to the point of injury (downstream to where the insult took place)
- Can occur with compression or stretching injury
- Creates axonal debris which has to be cleared by the myelo-macrophages to create a platform for healing
- Some regeneration can occur and may form a neuroma (mass of neurons- can be painful)
What is being depicted here? What may cause this condition?

- Neuronal vacuolation
- Cells become vacuolated
- Rare form of injury
- Common artefact in histology
- Seen with
- Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies
- Lysosomal storage diseases
- Early cell injury
- Some toxins
- Order of susceptibility (from most to least susceptible)
- Nerons, oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, microglia, blood vessels
What is being depicted here? What causes this disorder?

- Acute neuronal necrosis
- Usually a result of ischaema
- Non-ischaemic causes of neuronal necrosis
- Hypoxia
- Hypoglycaemia
- Nutritional deficiency
- Toxins
What are some causes of laminar cortical necrosis?
- Salt poisoning
- Water deprivation
- Lead and mercury toxicity
- Polioencephalomalacia in ruminants (cerebrocortical necrosis (CCN))Pathology unclear but is thought to be a thiamine deficiency or sulfide toxicity
- Thiamine is required for glucose metabolism
Describe neural cytoxic oedema.
- ATP deficit and failure of sodium pump where sodium and water build up within the cell (similar to hydropic degeneration)
- Intracellular
- Can occur as a result of hypoxia, ischaemia, and toxins
Describe the types of demyelination.
- Primary
- Myelin forms normally and then is selectively destroyed
- Caused by: toxicity, circulatory oedema, immune mediated, infectious cases, idiopathic, and hereditary, impaired maintenance, nutritional (copper, vitamin B12), toxins (cyanide)
- Secondary
- Loss of myelin following axonal damage (Wallerian degeneration, for example)
- The myelin is not able to be formed properly
What is Fibrocartilaginous embolic myelopathy (FCEM)?
- Results from the blockage of blood vessels
- Key features
- Large breed dogs commonly affected
- Acute onset
- Non-progressive course
- Non-painful dramatic asymmetric paresis or paralysis without involvement of the head (animals are quite bright otherwise)
- 60% of cases have history of trauma
- Marrow Embolism following fracture
Describe different characteristics of viral entry into the central nervous system.
- Neurotropic
- Are able to bypass into the nervous system
- Viruses which can overcome innate immunity of brain- Rabies (Rhambdovirus), for examplee
- Lesions are microscopic
- Endothelioptropic
- Endothelial cell damage leads to vascular injury and secondary parenchymal necrosis and haemorrhage
- Pantropic
- affecting various tissues without showing special affinity for one of them
- Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR), for example
- Virus can be latent in nerve ganglia
Desribe the sequelae, symptoms, and forms of listeriosis.
- Sequelae
- Infection of oral mucosa caused by consuming basic silage
- Infections of trigeminal nerve
- Infection of trigeminal ganglion in brain
- Forms
- CNS
- Abortion
- Sepsis
- Symptoms
- Circling
- Facial nerve paralysis
- Drooling
- Pharyngeal paralysis
- Recumbency, paddling, death
What is a contusion?
A region of injured tissue or skin in which blood capillaries have been ruptured
Describe the different types of intervertebral Disk Disease (IVDD).
- Chondrodystrophic
- Nucleus pulposus replaced by chondroid tissue
- Degeneration of annulus fibrosis is secondary
- Common in young dogs
- Non-condrodystrophic
- Degeneration begins in annulus fibrosis
- Nucleus pulposus undergoes fibrsosis
- Common in middle-aged dogs
- Age-related and not breed dependent
What is cervical vertebral stenotic myelopathy?
- “Wobbler” horse syndrome
- Due to malformation and malalignment of the cervical vertebrae
- Found in fast-growing and young horses
- Can lead to cord compression and hindlimb ataxia
What is hydrocephalus? Describe the types of hydrocephalus.
- Increased amount of fluid within the cranial cavity as a whole
- Internal (Common)
- Within ventricles
- Congenital
- Obstruction not found
- Common in brachycephalic dogs- mesencephalic aqueduct may be stenotic
- Sporadic in cattle
- Acquired form
- Causes: obstruction due to inflammation or space-occupying lesion (SOL) compression
- External
- Within arachnoid space
- Communicating
- Within both locations
- Hyrocephalus ex vacuo
- Ventricles dilate to replace lost tissue
- Generally caused by blockage of flow through the ducts
What are the different types of cerebellar hypoplasia?
- Inherited
- Acquired
- Usually due to environmental teratogens which attack germinal cells in external granular layer of cerebellum (source of neurons)
- Can be caused by parvo and pestiviruses
- Feline panleukopaenia, canine parvovirus, schmallenberg virus, for example
What is cerebellar abiotrophy?
Premature degeneration of nervous tissue elements after they have formed