Spongy degeneration in the central nervous system of domestic animals

Abstract

Spongy degeneration or status spongiosus of the central nervous system (CNS) was described in a number of domestic animal species, notably sheep, cattle, pigs and in one goat. The condition was characterized by diffuse or focal vacuolation, or polymicrocavitation of the CNS, particularly the white matter. The vacuolation showed a well defined pattern of distribution following a number of myelinated tracts in CNS white matter, in isolated fibres crossing grey matter in the brain stem, and along grey and white matter borders in the cerebrum and spinal cord. The vacuoles were not altered by a variety of methods of rapid brain fixation, processing and staining. The appearance of the vacuolation repeatedly favouring the same areas in the CNS in a large number of animals studied, its common origin either by hepatocerebral disease or hyperammonaemia, strongly suggests that CNS spongy degeneration of domestic animals is a distinct disease entity.

Caracterização imuno-histoquímica das alterações encefálicas em bovinos com hepatopatia tóxica por Senecio sp

“…Hooper (1975) também não obteve achados relevantes na coloração de PAS aplicada em encéfalos de diferentes espé-cies animais com EH. Na pesquisa de Cho & Leipold (1977) nenhum material foi evidenciado nesses vacúolos em HE, nem em colorações especiais; não foi observada relação das cavitações com estruturas vasculares e também não havia alteração em espaços perivasculares.…”

“…Degeneração esponjosa é descrita relacionada a vá-rias causas de hepatopatia difusa em diferentes espécies animais por Hooper (1975), com formação de vacúolos, principalmente ao longo de determinados tratos axonais de substância branca e contíguos à substância cinzenta. A distribuição regular dos vacúolos nas mesmas áreas do SNC em um grande número de animais com EH é sugerida pelo mesmo autor como uma entidade específica relacionada à hiperamonemia.…”

Cycad (Zamia Puertoriquensis) Toxicosis in a Group of Dairy Heifers in Puerto Rico

“…[7][8][9] Behavioral changes similar to those exhibited by these heifers have been reported in other cattle with advanced liver disease. Hepatic encephalopathy was probably not the sole cause of the ataxia, axonal degeneration, or myelinopathy in these heifers.…”

“…2,4,[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. Lesions were more severe in the small intestines of echidna nos.…”

Hepatic encephalomyelopathy in a calf with congenital portosystemic shunt (CPSS)

“…Generally, the clinical signs associated with CPSS in large animals are unspecific and mimic those of HE; including progressive depression, ataxia, lethargy, apparent blindness, slow proprioception, hindquarters weakness and abnormal behavior. There are many postulated mechanisms to explain the pathogenesis of HE, but there is a general consensus that ammonia plays an important role in the dysfunction of astroglial cells leading to brain edema [3,5,8]. This report describes the clinical and neurological investigations, and pathological findings in a Holstein Friesian calf with hepatic encephalo-myelopathy due to a CPSS.…”