Pathological aspects of Australian Stringhalt.
Abstract: Nine horses with clinical signs of Australian Stringhalt were killed and tissues collected for a detailed pathological study. Lesions were limited to peripheral nerves and muscles. The most severely affected nerves were the superficial and deep peroneal, distal tibial, plantar digital, volar and recurrent laryngeal nerve with changes characterised by a selective loss of large diameter myelinated fibres with various degrees of demyelination, fibrosis, Schwann cell proliferation and onion-bulb formation. A routine evaluation of the brain and spinal cord by light microscopy failed to reveal any consistent abnormalities. Morphometric analysis of deep peroneal and recurrent laryngeal nerves confirmed the reduced number of large diameter myelinated axons. Teased fibre preparations of these nerves did not show any abnormalities in internodal distance. The most severe muscle lesions were in the long and lateral digital extensors, cranial tibial, dorsal cricoarytenoid, gracilis and lateral deep digital flexor with extensive atrophy of fibres and diffuse fibrosis. Histochemical evaluation of the long digital extensor from 3 affected horses showed an abnormally wide distribution in fibre size and a reduction in type II fibres compared with controls. These lesions are consistent with a distal axonopathy leading to neurogenic muscle atrophy. The distribution of neuromuscular lesions in Australian Stringhalt may be explained by the susceptibility of longer, larger myelinated nerve fibres to injury, but the cause for this distal axonopathy remains unknown.
Publication Date: 1992-05-01 PubMed ID: 1606929DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1992.tb02810.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The article presents a detailed pathological study conducted on nine horses affected by Australian Stringhalt, a neuromuscular disorder in horses. The research focused on identifying the changes in the nervous and muscular systems of these horses, discovering damage primarily in peripheral nerves and muscles but the root cause for these disruptions still remained unidentified.
Investigation Method
- Nine horses showing symptoms of Australian Stringhalt were euthanized for the study.
- Various tissues were collected to perform a detailed pathological investigation.
- The collected tissue samples underwent routine evaluation under a light microscope.
- Morphometric analysis was conducted on some nerve structures. The intermodal distance in the nerves was studied through teased fibre preparations.
- Histochemical evaluation was performed on long digital extensor muscle from three diseased horses.
Observations
- Disease-induced changes were only observed in peripheral nerves and muscles.
- The most afflicted nerves, which included the superficial and deep peroneal, distal tibial, plantar digital, volar and recurrent laryngeal nerves, were characterized by a reduction in large diameter myelinated fibers, demyelination, fibrosis of nerve tissues, Schwann cell proliferation, and onion-bulb formation.
- The usual examination of the brain and spinal cord using light microscopy did not reveal any consistent abnormalities.
- Morphometric analysis confirmed the reduced number of large diameter myelinated axons.
- However, the internodal distance in the nerves appeared normal.
- Muscular damage was most severe in the long and lateral digital extensor, cranial tibial, dorsal cricoarytenoid, gracilis, and lateral deep digital flexor muscles. They displayed substantial atrophy of fibers and widespread fibrosis.
- Histochemical evaluation demonstrated an abnormally broad range of fiber size and a reduction in type II fibers in the affected horses.
Conclusions
- The observed lesions point to a distal axonopathy resulting in neurogenic muscle atrophy.
- The distribution pattern of neuromuscular lesions in Australian Stringhalt-affected horses could be due to greater vulnerability of longer, larger myelinated nerve fibers to injury.
- The primary cause for this distal axonopathy has not been identified through this study.
Cite This Article
APA
Slocombe RF, Huntington PJ, Friend SC, Jeffcott LB, Luff AR, Finkelstein DK.
(1992).
Pathological aspects of Australian Stringhalt.
Equine Vet J, 24(3), 174-183.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.1992.tb02810.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Veterinary Clinical Centre, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Atrophy
- Axons / pathology
- Axons / ultrastructure
- Disease Outbreaks / veterinary
- Female
- Histocytochemistry
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
- Lameness, Animal / pathology
- Laryngeal Nerves / pathology
- Male
- Microscopy, Electron
- Muscles / chemistry
- Muscles / pathology
- Neuromuscular Diseases / pathology
- Neuromuscular Diseases / veterinary
- Peripheral Nerves / pathology
- Peroneal Nerve / pathology
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Davies PC. Shivering in a thoroughbred mare.. Can Vet J 2000 Feb;41(2):128-9.
- Furuoka H, Mizushima M, Miyazawa K, Matsui T. Idiopathic peripheral neuropathy in a horse with knuckling.. Acta Neuropathol 1994;88(4):389-93.
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