A case of congenital hydrocephalus in sheep

作者：Masucci M^*; Mignacca S A; Capucchio M T; Biasibetti E

来源：Large Animal Review, 2012, 18(4): 193-196.

• Brain
• sheep
• electroencephalogram
• hydrocephalus

Introduction - Congenital hydrocephalus occurs sporadically in lambs and may be caused by genetic or environmental (toxic, infectious, deficiency) factors. Affected animals often are stillborn or die shortly after birth. In this paper a case of congenital hydrocephalus is described in a Comisana sheep, that showed mild neurological signs and survived to adulthood. %26lt;br%26gt;Clinical case - A 6- month-old Comisana sheep was examined for neurologic signs, developed shortly after birth: failure to bond to the dam, diminished learning ability, partial failure of suckling and drinking, bruxism. At the time of clinical examination poor body development, slight enlargement of calvarium, ventrolateral strabismus, postural reactions deficits and menace reaction failure were observed. The presumptive diagnosis of congenital hydrocephalus, made on the basis of clinical signs, was supported by electroencephalographic (EEG) findings [diffuse and synchronous high voltage slow activity (HVSA) with superimposed high frequency activity]. The animal was not treated and the course was stable for the next six months. The sheep died at the age of one year for acute indigestion caused by overloading food. At autopsy slight congestion of meningeal vessels, pachygyria and moderate dilatation of the ventricular system were observed. Histologic lesions in the brain were consistent with the gross changes and there was also mild edema of the periventricular white matter. These findings confirmed the diagnosis of hydrocephalus. %26lt;br%26gt;Discussion - The neurological signs shown by the animal can be attributed to lesions of forebrain and brain stem, due to involvement of the entire ventricular system, found by autopsy. The EEG was a helpful noninvasive diagnostic procedure. As reported in literature, congenital hydrocephalus in sheep is usually a serious disease but according to the clinical features of this case it may be underdiagnosed in this species. Because hydrocephalus can be hereditary, breeders and veterinarians should focus on subtle neurological signs compatible with this pathology excluding from reproduction individuals affected by mild forms.

• 出版日期2012-8