Lecture 3

Question 1

What are the characteristics of lesions seen with viral neuro infections?

Answer 1

-often NO gross lesions
-may see hemorrhage or tan/gray/yellow discoloration
-lymphoplasmacytic meningoencephalitis most common microscopically

Question 2

How does feline infectious peritonitis impact the brain?

Answer 2

-causes rough, irregular ventricle margins with varying color
-causes gelatinous CSF

Question 3

What are the characteristics of fungal infections in neuro?

Answer 3

-causes granulomatous meningoencephalitis
-secondary to systemic dissemination
-often no gross lesions
-may see hemorrhage or tan/gray/yellow discoloration
-may see masses/granulomas

Question 4

How do granulomas differ from abscesses?

Answer 4

-granulomas are not spreadable while abscesses often are
-granulomas do not have a discernable capsule; abscesses do

Question 5

What are the findings with cryptococcus?

Answer 5

-thick polysaccharide capsule with little inflammation
-gelatinous masses

Question 6

What are the gross findings in protozoal infections?

Answer 6

-often no gross lesions
-sometimes hemorrhage or tan/gray/yellow discoloration

Question 7

What typically causes equine protozoal myelitis?

Answer 7

Sarcocystis neurona

Question 8

What are the characteristics of P. tenuis?

Answer 8

-meningeal worm
-can be found in meninges of white-tailed deer incidentally (definitive host)
-larvae migrate through the CNS in aberrant hosts

Question 9

Where are cuterebra larvae commonly found?

Answer 9

inside of the calvarium

Question 10

What is feline ischemic encephalopathy?

Answer 10

necrosis of a portion of brain due to vasospasm; caused by toxin produced by cuterebra larvae

Question 11

What are the characteristics of “gid” aka Coenurus cerebralis?

Answer 11

-type of tapeworm
-larval form causes cysts in sheep brains

Question 12

What are the characteristics of necrotizing meningoencephalitis?

Answer 12

-often no gross lesions
-may see hemorrhage or tan/gray/yellow discoloration
-affects the gray matter
-unknown etiology

Question 13

What are the characteristics of granulomatous meningoencephalitis?

Answer 13

-often no gross lesions
-may see hemorrhage or tan/gray/yellow discoloration
-affects the white matter
-unknown etiology

Question 14

What are the characteristics of neuritis of the cauda equina?

Answer 14

-granulomatous neuritis
-thickened yellow to gray to red nerves
-unknown etiology

Question 15

What are the characteristics of prion diseases?

Answer 15

-no gross lesions
-causes neuronal vacuolation in the obex
-often no inflammation; just vacuolation

Question 16

How is testing done for prion diseases?

Answer 16

dead: obex testing
alive: lymphoid tissue including rectal, 3rd eyelid, or tonsil

Question 17

What can cause a mass lesion in the nervous system?

Answer 17

-neoplasia
-abscess
-granuloma

Question 18

What are the characteristics of meningiomas?

Answer 18

-most common CNS neoplasia
-often arise from arachnoid cells
-typically at the surface
-very non-invasive in cats

Question 19

What are the characteristics of astrocytoma?

Answer 19

-neoplasia arising from astrocytes
-more commonly in the white matter
-very bland gross appearance
-want to look for midline shift on imaging
-treatment similar to/the same as oligodendroglioma

Question 20

What are the characteristics of oligodendroglioma?

Answer 20

-well demarcated masses
-often gelatinous
-arise from oligodendroglia cells
-similar in appearance to cryptococcus
-more common in brachycephalic dogs
-treatment similar to/the same as astrocytoma

Question 21

What are the characteristics of choroid plexus tumors?

Answer 21

-papillary appearance
-can be benign or malignant
-metastasis is uncommon

Question 22

What are the characteristics of ependymoma?

Answer 22

-arise from ependymal cells lining the ventricles
-uncommon neoplasia

Question 23

What are the characteristics of suprasellar germ cell tumors?

Answer 23

-rare
-always on midline
-formed from germ cells that should have migrated but did not
-must differentiate from a pituitary tumor

Question 24

What is the appearance of spinal lymphoma in cats?

Answer 24

enlargement of the nerve roots coming off the spinal cord

Question 25

What are the characteristics of nerve sheath tumors?

Answer 25

-can occur with any cranial nerve -look similar to meningiomas -can see enlargement of affected peripheral nerves

Question 26

What are the characteristics of cholesterol granulomas?

Answer 26

-seen in older horses -multi-nodular -consistent with foreign body nature of cholesterol -usually incidental but can cause neuro signs if really large

Question 27

What are the characteristics of hepatic and renal encephalopathy?

Answer 27

-bilateral symmetric white matter vacuolation -non-inflammatory -no gross lesions -associated with clinical neurologic signs

Question 28

What are the characteristics of equine laryngeal hemiplegia?

Answer 28

-left sided in horses -due to damage to recurrent laryngeal nerve -cricoarytenoideus dorsalis muscle becomes paralyzed and atrophies -similar condition can be seen in dogs and big cats

Question 29

What are the characteristics of meningeal melanosis?

Answer 29

-brown-gray color of meninges due to melanin -no clinical significance

Question 30

What are the characteristics of meningeal fibrosis?

Answer 30

-meninges appear more opaque/white -can look like pus, but fibrosis is more uniform and centered on the sulci

Question 31

What are the characteristics of dural ossification?

Answer 31

-bone formation within dura mater -typically occurs in the spinal cord region -often does not cause clinical signs

Question 32

What is spondylosis?

Answer 32

bridging of the bone along the ventral aspect of the vertebral bodies that may impact mobility

Question 33

Why are patients with aortic thromboembolism often referred to neuro?

Answer 33

due to ischemia of the hind limbs and inability to walk (even though it is not a neurologic lesion)

Question 34

What are the artifacts seen with autolysis?

Answer 34

-liquefaction of brain and spinal cord -emphysema/bubbles within brain