Spinal accessory nerve biopsy as an ante mortem diagnostic test for equine motor neuron disease.
Abstract: The effectiveness of spinal accessory nerve branch biopsy evaluation as a means to confirm the diagnosis of equine motor neuron disease (EMND) was investigated. Sixteen horses with histories and clinical signs suggestive of EMND and 16 control horses with neither histories nor clinical signs of any neurological disorder, were subjects of the study. Biopsy samples of the ventral branch of the spinal accessory nerve were obtained either surgically, under general anaesthesia or post mortem immediately after euthanasia. Evaluation was done on the spinal cord of all horses to serve as the definitive diagnostic indicator of EMND. Results indicate that biopsy of the ventral branch of the spinal accessory nerve is a reliable ante mortem diagnostic test for EMND. Histological evidence of the degeneration of myelinated axons is present in both acute and arrested cases. The ventral branch of the spinal accessory nerve is easy to approach surgically and biopsy of the nerve causes no disfigurement of the sternocephalicus muscle. The use of semi-thin Epon sections is an excellent method of sample preparation. Formalin fixation and routine paraffin embedment may prove more accessible and provide good quality preparations for reliable interpretation. In the hands of an experienced pathologist, the sensitivity and specificity reliability coefficients for spinal accessory nerve branch biopsy are 94%, making this technique an extremely valuable diagnostic tool for the ante mortem diagnosis of EMND.
© 1996 EVJ Ltd.
Publication Date: 1996-05-01 PubMed ID: 28976716DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1996.tb03775.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research study explored the potential of spinal accessory nerve branch biopsy as a diagnosis method for equine motor neuron disease (EMND). The results suggest this technique to be both safe and highly reliable for diagnosing EMND in living horses.
Methodology
- The study involved two groups of horses, 16 suspected of having EMND signs and histories, and 16 healthy controls with no signs or histories of neurological disorders.
- Biopsy samples were taken from the ventral branch of the spinal accessory nerve, either surgically under general anaesthesia or post-mortem immediately following euthanasia.
- To confirm as a definitive diagnostic indicator of EMND, all horses underwent evaluation on the spinal cord.
Findings
- The study found that biopsies of the spinal accessory nerve provided reliable indications of EMND.
- There was histological evidence of myelinated axon degeneration in all cases, whether acute or arrested.
- The surgical approach to the ventral branch of the spinal accessory nerve was easy and did not disfigure the sternocephalicus muscle.
- The study highlighted the usefulness of semi-thin Epon sections for sample preparation, though it also suggested formalin fixation and routine paraffin embedment as potentially accessible methods that can still provide dependable interpretations.
Implications
- In the expert hands of a pathologist, the sensitivity and specificity coefficients for this type of biopsy were found to be 94%, an excellent rate establishing this technique as an essential diagnostic tool for EMND.
- Overall, the technique opens a path to more effective ante mortem diagnosis of EMND in horses, critical for providing timely and appropriate treatment for the disease.
Cite This Article
APA
Jackson CA, DE Lahunta A, Cummings JF, Divers TJ, Mohammed HO, Valentine BA, Hackett RP.
(1996).
Spinal accessory nerve biopsy as an ante mortem diagnostic test for equine motor neuron disease.
Equine Vet J, 28(3), 215-219.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.1996.tb03775.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-6401, USA.Department of Anatomy, New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-6401, USA.Department of Pathology, New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-6401, USA.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-6401, USA.Department of Anatomy, New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-6401, USA.Department of Pathology, New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-6401, USA.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-6401, USA.Department of Anatomy, New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-6401, USA.Department of Pathology, New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-6401, USA.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-6401, USA.Department of Anatomy, New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-6401, USA.Department of Pathology, New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-6401, USA.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-6401, USA.Department of Anatomy, New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-6401, USA.Department of Pathology, New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-6401, USA.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-6401, USA.Department of Anatomy, New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-6401, USA.Department of Pathology, New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-6401, USA.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-6401, USA.Department of Anatomy, New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-6401, USA.Department of Pathology, New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-6401, USA.
Citations
This article has been cited 1 times.- Husulak ML, Lohmann KL, Gabadage K, Wojnarowicz C, Marqués FJ. Equine motor neuron disease in 2 horses from Saskatchewan. Can Vet J 2016 Jul;57(7):771-6.
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