Vitamin D mnemonic Flashcards
(26 cards)
What do the letters in the vitamin D mnemonic stand for?
V vascular
I inflammatory
T trauma/toxic
A anomaly
M metabolic
I idiopathic
N neoplasia
D degenerative
Describe vascular neuro lesions. Give 3 examples.
Course and clinical signs
* blood supply interruption (ischaemia) or bleeding (haemorrhage) in the NS
* acute
* non-progressive
* focal, asymmetric
E.g. ischemic infartion, cerebral hemorrhage, fibrocartilaginous embolism.
Describe inflammatory neuro lesions. Course and clinical signs. Name 3 examples.
e.g. encephalitis, myelitis, empyema
Course and clinical signs
* acute, chronic
* progressive, waxing/waning
* focal, multifocal
* symmetric, asymmetric
* brain/meninges,spinal cord/nerve roots, single nerve, expansion (e.g. ear > brain), bones/discs
Non-infectious vs. infectious:
Non-infectious, immune-mediated inflammation like:
* granulomatous meningoencephalomyelitis (GME)
* necrotizing meningoencephalitis (NME)
* steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis (SRMA)
NB! Breeds: chihuahua, yorkie, pomeranian, beagle, boxer.
Infectious inflammation like:
* viral causes: distemper, rabies, flavivirus (TBE), coronavirus (FIP), FIV, FeLV
* protozoa: toxoplasmosis, neosporosis
* bacteria
* aspergillosis
Immune-mediated is more common.
Describe traumatic neuro lesions. Course and clinical signs.
Course and clinical signs
* peracute, acute
* non-progressive (possible deterioration within 24-72h)
* focal, multifocal
* pain
* E.g. luxation, fracture, contusion, strain, bleeding
Describe Toxicosis related neuro lesions.
Course and clinical signs etc.
Examples of toxins.
Course and clinical signs:
* acute
* non-progressive
* symmetric
* often general and neurological signs
Neurotoxins:
* ethylene glycol
* metaldehyde (green feces)
* rodenticides
* chocolate
* macadamia nuts
* alcohol, nicotine
* botulism (Clostridium botulinum)
* tetanus (Clostridium tetani)
Describe anomaly related neuro lesions. Course and clinical signs.
Examples of anomalies.
Course and clinical signs:
* In relation to the NS (e.g. hydrocephalus) or in relation to the tissues surrounding the NS (e.g.
vertebra anomalies)
* anomaly can be a secondary finding, they don’t always cause neurological deficits!
* often young animals
* acute, chronic
* static, progressive
* pain +/-
e.g. vertebral anomalies, hydrocephalus, chiari malformation, syringomyelia
Describe metabolic neuro signs/lesions.
Course and clinical signs.
Examples of metabolic related causes. (3)
Course and clinical signs:
* acute neurological signs, subacute/chronic signs of systemic disease
* all ages
* waxing/waning course
* symmetric
e.g. Liver shunt, insulinoma, metabolic encephalopathies
Can dogs have chiari malformation and syringomyelia separately or are they always together?
They can have them separately BUT they are often linked.
Chiari-like Malformation is a congenital skull malformation, usually involving a mismatch between the size of the brain and the back of the skull.
It causes crowding and compression at the foramen magnum (where the brain meets the spinal cord).
Syringomyelia is the formation of fluid-filled cavities (syrinxes) within the spinal cord. It often develops secondary to chiari malformation, due to disrupted CSF flow caused by the malformed skull.
But syringomyelia can also occur independently, from causes like:
* Spinal cord injury
* Tumors
* Inflammation
* Spinal arachnoid diverticula (a kind of CSF-filled sac)
Describe idiopathic neuro lesion etiology.
Course and clinical signs:
* unknown pathogenesis
* acute
* non-progressive, relapsing
* When diagnosing this you MUST Name a specific disease (rather than idiopathic deficit) (e.g. idiopathic epilepsy, idiopathic vestibular syndrome, idiopathic facial paralysis)
* Is Often a diagnosis of exclusion!
Describe neoplastic neuro lesions.
Course and clinical signs:
* more common > 5 year olds, seldom young animals
* chronic (can flare up)
* progressive
* focal, multifocal
* pain +/-
* neuro signs may be due to paraneoplastic syndrome (e.g. thymoma - myasthenia, lymphoma - peripheral neuropathy)
neoplasia can cause neuro presenting paraneoplastic syndromes
Describe Degenerative neuro lesions.
Give examples! (1+3)
2 divisions based on signalment!
Course and clinical signs:
* very young animals, certain breeds
* slowly progressive
* multifocal, symmetrical
* NB! lysosomal storage diseases
Course and clinical signs:
* middle-aged/older animals
* asymmetric
* chronic, may worsen
* progressive
* E.g. disc disease, degenerative myelopathy,
cerebellar cortical atrophy
name 3 anomalies that a french bulldog with seizures might have
hydrocephalus
quadrigeminal cysts
liver shunts
give 4 examples of a vascular disease that could cause seizures in a young dog
Portosystemic shunt
Cerebral Vascular Malformations
(e.g., Arteriovenous Malformations)
Ischemic Stroke (due to thromboembolic events often secondary to systemic disease such as heart disease or metabolic dz)
Polycythemia vera (secondary erythrocytosis) can cause hyperviscosity syndrome, leading to reduced cerebral perfusion, and potentially seizures.
which side is lesion if nystagmus fast-phase to the left
right sided lesion
explain congenital vestibular anomaly in young animals
is a neurological condition present at birth that affects the vestibular system, which is responsible for balance and spatial orientation. It is most commonly seen in puppies and kittens and may be inherited in certain breeds.
Affected animals typically show signs such as head tilt, ataxia, circling, and nystagmus, often apparent within the first few weeks of life.
Despite these symptoms, many animals adapt well over time, and in some cases, the signs may improve or remain stable.
Diagnosis is typically based on clinical signs and ruling out other causes, and treatment is usually supportive since the condition is non-progressive.
metabolic disease that can cause vestibular signs in dogs
hypothyroidism
In rare cases, hypothyroidism can lead to peripheral vestibular dysfunction, likely due to metabolic effects on the nerves (e.g., cranial nerve VIII) or altered lipid metabolism affecting myelin.
Affected dogs may show head tilt, ataxia, circling, and even facial nerve paralysis. These signs often mimic idiopathic or inflammatory vestibular disease but improve with appropriate thyroid hormone supplementation.
proprioceptive tests only show you
how many and which legs are affected
what is a spinal arachnoid diverticulum
a condition characterized by the formation of a fluid-filled sac or cyst within the arachnoid layer of the meninges, which can compress the spinal cord and disrupt normal cerebrospinal fluid flow.
It is commonly seen in certain dog breeds, including French Bulldogs, and often affects the cervical or thoracolumbar spine.
Clinical signs typically include progressive spinal cord dysfunction such as weakness, ataxia, and in severe cases, paralysis, often WITHOUT pain. The condition is thought to be congenital or developmental, possibly due to abnormal spinal cord structure or movement.
Diagnosis is typically made via MRI, and treatment may involve medical management or surgical intervention to decompress the spinal cord and prevent further neurological decline. But the diverticulum can grow back and signs return.
which differentials group does myasthenia gravis belong to?
is a neuromuscular disease
different sources give different answers
could be:
anomaly
idiopathic
other
which differentials group do lysosomal storage diseases belong to?
Lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) are classified as metabolic differentials, not anomalies.
They are inherited metabolic disorders caused by deficiencies in specific enzymes responsible for breaking down various substances within lysosomes.
This leads to the accumulation of undigested substrates in cells, resulting in cellular dysfunction and progressive clinical signs. While the effects may be congenital or appear early in life, LSDs are fundamentally due to metabolic enzyme deficiencies, placing them squarely in the metabolic category of differentials rather than structural or congenital anomalies.
signs usually start in puppies at 2-3 months old and several littermates are affected.
what disease can cause secondary myasthenia gravis in young cats?
Thymomas - are tumors of the thymus, an immune-regulating organ involved in T-cell education. In the case of thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis, the tumor causes the immune system to become dysregulated and produce autoantibodies against acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) at the neuromuscular junction (paraneoplastic myasthenia gravis). This blocks normal nerve-to-muscle communication, leading to muscle weakness.
bengal cat polyneuropathy tx
there is no tx
tick borne encephalitis is caused by
a flavivirus
(same family as West Nile virus, Dengue, and Zika)
in what type of injury might you have paralyzed front legs and normal hindlegs?
bilateral brachial plexus injury, very rare!
