Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury in a Dog

Chronic traumatic brain injury is rare in man and has not been previously documented in dogs. This report describes a 2-year-old female American Staffordshire bull terrier that was referred with forelimb and hindlimb ataxia, decreased vigilance and disorientation following repeated aggression and ph...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of comparative pathology 2010-07, Vol.143 (1), p.75-80
Main Authors: Laurent, S., Thibaud, J.L., Hordeaux, J., Reyes-Gomez, E., Delisle, F., Blot, S., Colle, M.A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
animal injuries
animal welfare
Animals
Atrophy - pathology
Atrophy - veterinary
Brain - pathology
brain damage
brain injury
Brain Injury, Chronic - pathology
Brain Injury, Chronic - veterinary
cerebral cortex
cerebral sulci
cerebrospinal fluid
chronic
chronic traumatic brain injury
computed tomography
cortical atrophy
diagnostic techniques
dog
dog diseases
Dog Diseases - pathology
Dogs
Female
hemorrhage
histopathology
Life Sciences
necropsy
necrosis
Necrosis - pathology
Necrosis - veterinary
neurons
neutrophils
pleocytosis
signs and symptoms (animals and humans)
trauma
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Summary:Chronic traumatic brain injury is rare in man and has not been previously documented in dogs. This report describes a 2-year-old female American Staffordshire bull terrier that was referred with forelimb and hindlimb ataxia, decreased vigilance and disorientation following repeated aggression and physical abuse by its owner. A diffuse cortical lesion was suspected. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed neutrophilic pleocytosis and computed tomography showed marked widening of the cerebral sulci with mild bilateral ventriculomegaly. The dog was humanely destroyed in view of the poor prognosis. Necropsy examination revealed narrowing of the cerebral cortical gyri and consequent widening of the sulci without distortion or displacement of the neural parenchyma. These features were consistent with bilateral diffuse cortical atrophy. Microscopically, there were chronic subarachnoid haemorrhages and the cortical subpial layer displayed spongiosis, capillary hyperplasia, astrocytosis, microgliosis and frequent neuronal necrosis occurring in a characteristic laminar pattern. This histopathological pattern of damage was significantly different from that previously described in people suffering from repeated traumatic brain injuries over a long period of time.
ISSN:0021-9975
1532-3129
DOI:10.1016/j.jcpa.2009.12.008