Are postnatal traumatic events an underestimated cause of porencephalic lesions in dogs and cats?

Tommaso Davini Chiara Mattei Claudia La Rosa Carlotta Remelli Swan Specchi Elena Lionello Elena Dell’Era Marco Bernardini

Background: Porencephaly is a brain condition characterized by fluid-filled cavities in the cerebral cortex. It is usually considered a congenital disorder, but it may also result from postnatal traumatic events. The authors hypothesized that postnatal trauma is a more common cause of porencephaly than generally suspected.

Study: The authors conducted a retrospective case series of 32 dogs and cats with MRI diagnosis of porencephaly. They collected data on signalment, history, neurological examination, MRI features, and CSF analysis. They also looked for evidence of skull fractures and muscular abnormalities associated with the porencephalic cavities.

Methods: The authors reviewed the medical records and MRI studies of the porencephalic patients from two referral veterinary hospitals. They excluded cases with other concomitant brain diseases or incomplete MRI studies. They evaluated the number, location, communication, and contrast enhancement of the porencephalic cavities, as well as the presence of musculoskeletal changes and concurrent abnormalities. They classified the cases into presumed acquired traumatic forms and non-traumatic forms based on the MRI findings and history.

Results: The authors found that 21.9% of the porencephalic patients were aged six years or older at the time of diagnosis. The main clinical sign was epileptic seizures (71.8%). A single porencephalic cavity was found in 78.1% of cases, and the most affected cerebral lobe was the parietal lobe (51.3%). Musculoskeletal changes were observed in 20/32 cases, and 14/20 cases showed evidence of fractures. Seven of these 14 cases had a history of head trauma in the first period of life. Contrast enhancement was present in 5/32 cases, four of which were classified as presumed acquired traumatic forms. Meningocele or meningoencephalocele was seen in four cases, all located at the level of the parietal lobe.

Limitations: The main limitations of the study were its retrospective nature and the use of low-field MRI in most cases. The lack of history for some cases and the absence of histopathological confirmation in all cases also limited the establishment of a definitive etiology of porencephaly.

Conclusions: The study suggested that postnatal traumatic events are a possible cause of porencephaly in dogs and cats, and that MRI can help detect neurological and musculoskeletal abnormalities that support this diagnosis. The study also highlighted the importance of considering porencephaly as a differential diagnosis in young cats and dogs with seizures, and in older animals with forebrain signs.

Disclaimer: The summary generated in this email was created by an AI large language model. Therefore errors may occur. Reading the article is the best way to understand the scholarly work. The figure presented here remains the property of the publisher or author and subject to the applicable copyright agreement. It is reproduced here as an educational work. If you have any questions or concerns about the work presented here, reply to this email.