Chronic cervical compressive myelopathy in horses: clinical correlations with spinal cord alterations.
Abstract: Histological examination was performed on the cervical spinal cord from 13 horses with chronic cervical compressive myelopathy of 4 to 29 months duration. Structural alterations were correlated with clinical features. At the level of compression, the spinal cord was grossly deformed. Histological alterations included nerve fibre swelling and degeneration, occasional spheroids, astrocytic gliosis, increased macrophage activity and increased perivascular collagen. Myelin degeneration or loss at the level of the compressive lesion was greatest in the ventral and lateral funiculi and less consistently present in the dorsal funiculi. Asymmetry of lesions in the dorsal funiculi was associated with asymmetry of clinical signs in 5 horses. Histological alterations in areas of Wallerian degeneration were similar to that at the level of spinal cord compression, except that perivascular collagen was not increased. Wallerian degeneration was present cranial to the compressed site in the superficial portions of the lateral funiculi and in the middle of the dorsal funiculi. Caudal to the compressed site it was present in the ventral funiculi adjacent to the ventral median fissure and in the middle of the lateral funiculi. Deformation of the spinal cord did not correlate with the severity or duration of clinical signs but was positively correlated with the amount of perivascular collagen increase. The amount of nerve fibre swelling was not correlated with the severity of clinical signs but was negatively correlated with their duration. A rapid loss of nerve fibres apparently occurred early in the course of compression, since there was a marked decrease in the amount of nerve fibre swelling and Marchi stained degenerating myelin with increasing clinical duration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Publication Date: 1991-10-01 PubMed ID: 1755784DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.1991.tb03091.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
- Research Support
- U.S. Gov't
- Non-P.H.S.
Summary
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The research investigates chronic cervical compressive myelopathy in horses, studying the structural changes in the spinal cord and their correlation with clinical signs. The research found that the severity of spinal cord deformation did not reflect the severity or duration of clinical signs, but was closely related to the increase in perivascular collagen.
Study Design and Methodology
- The study was conducted on 13 horses diagnosed with chronic cervical compressive myelopathy spanning over 4 to 29 months. A histological examination was conducted on the cervical spinal cord of these horses.
- Researchers closely observed structural alterations in the spinal cord, focusing on areas of compression, and correlated these changes with the clinical features observed in the horses.
Key Findings
- At the level of compression, the spinal cord was grossly deformed, with symptoms including nerve fibre swelling, degeneration, astrocytic gliosis, increased macrophage activity, and increased perivascular collagen.
- Myelin degeneration or loss, especially, was observed at the compression site mainly in the ventral and lateral funiculi.
- Asymmetry of lesions in the dorsal funiculi was found to correlate with asymmetry of clinical signs in 5 horses.
- Histological alterations similar to the compression level were observed in areas of Wallerian degeneration, sans the increase in perivascular collagen.
- Deformation of the spinal cord did not align with the severity or duration of clinical signs. However, it positively correlated with the amount of perivascular collagen increase.
Correlations and Implications
- The amount of nerve fibre swelling wasn’t correlated with the severity of clinical symptoms but had a negative correlation with the duration of symptoms, indicating a rapid loss of nerve fibres in the early stage of compression.
- The research essentially contributed to understanding the related structural alterations caused by chronic cervical compressive myelopathy, and their relationship with clinical signs, which can assist in better diagnosing and creating targeted treatment plans for affected horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Yovich JV, leCouteur RA, Gould DH.
(1991).
Chronic cervical compressive myelopathy in horses: clinical correlations with spinal cord alterations.
Aust Vet J, 68(10), 326-334.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.1991.tb03091.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- School of Veterinary Studies, Murdoch University, Western Australia.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Collagen / analysis
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
- Spinal Cord / chemistry
- Spinal Cord / pathology
- Spinal Cord Compression / pathology
- Spinal Cord Compression / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Wei W, Wang T, Abulizi T, Li B, Liu J. Altered Coupling Between Resting-State Cerebral Blood Flow and Functional Connectivity Strength in Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy Patients.. Front Neurol 2021;12:713520.
- Szklarz M, Lipinska A, Slowikowska M, Niedzwiedz A, Marycz K, Janeczek M. Comparison of the clinical and radiographic appearance of the cervical vertebrae with histological and anatomical findings in an eight-month old warmblood stallion suffering from cervical vertebral stenotic myelopathy (CVSM).. BMC Vet Res 2019 Aug 15;15(1):296.
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