J Vet Intern Med 2011

PROCEEDINGS 23rd Symposium ESVN-ECVN CAMBRIDGE, UNITED KINGDOM 17th18th September 2010
Selected research communications of the 23rd Symposium of the ESVN-ECVN Cambridge, United Kingdom 17th to 18th September 2010

TIMETABLE OF THE SYMPOSIUM

FRIDAY 17TH SEPTEMBER 08.30: Registration NEUROIMAGING 09.00: INVITED SPEAKERS SESSION F McConnell INTRODUCTION TO ADVANCED IMAGING NEW METHODS IN ADVANCED IMAGING 09.45: 1) FREE COMMUNICATIONS DIAGNOSTIC UTILITY OF VOLUMETRIC BREATH-HOLD EXAMINATION MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING IN DOGS WITH FACIAL NEUROPATHY PM Smith, R Goncalves, JF McConnell 2) AN IMAGING STUDY OF A NUCLEUS PULPOSUS HYDROGEL IN CANINE CADAVERIC SPINES N Bergknut, L Smolders, LH Koole, K Saralidze, G Voorhout, R Hagman, AS Lagerstedt, A van der Veen, HAW Hazewinkel, BP Meij 10.15: INVITED SPEAKERS SESSION F McConnell WHY I LIKE HIGH FIELD MRI 11.00: Coee break, poster exhibition and sponsors

2 11.30: M Herrtage

Abstracts

LOW FIELD MRI USES (WHY I LIKE LOW-FIELD MRI) 12.15: 3) FREE COMMUNICATIONS: AGREEMENT OF MYELOGRAPHY, POSTMYELOGRAPHIC COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY (CTM) AND LOWFIELD MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI) IN DOGS WITH DISK ASSOCIATED CERVICAL SPONDYLOMYELOPATHY: A RANDOMISED, BLINDED STUDY S De Decker, I Gielen, L Duchateau, N Corzo, H van Bree, K Kromhout, T Bosmans, L Van Ham 4) THE CUTANEOUS TRUNCI REFLEX AS A LOCALISING AND GRADING TOOL IN DOGS WITH THORACOLUMBAR SPINAL CORD INJURIES R Gutierrez, J Edgar, A Wessmann, GB Cherubini, J Penderis 5) A COMBINATION OF IN VIVO AND EX VIVO IMAGING TO MONITOR DEGENERATION AND REGENERATION OF THE MURINE NEUROMUSCULAR JUNCTION FOLLOWING IMMUNE-MEDIATED INJURY A Rupp, I Morrison, SK Halstead, HJ Willison 13.00: 1. POSTER SESSION I VERTEBRAL CANAL AND VERTEBRAL BODY RATIOS IN DOGS WITH AND WITHOUT CLINICAL SIGNS OF DISK ASSOCIATED CERVICAL SPONDYLOMYELOPATHY S De Decker, I Gielen, L Duchateau, J Saunders, H van Bree, I Polis, L Van Ham 2. PREVALENCE, HERITABILITY AND GENETIC CORRELATIONS OF CONGENITAL SENSORINEURAL DEAFNESS AND PIGMENTATION PHENOTYPES IN ENGLISH BULL TERRIERS L De Risio, A McBrearty, J Freeman, J Penderis, S Blott, T Lewis 3. INTRAOPERATIVE ULTRASOUND IMAGING OF BRAIN TUMOR IN THREE DOGS D Ito, S Ohta, M Kitagawa, N Tanaka, Y Yamaya, S Ohba, T Sano, T Watari 4. NEUROLOGICAL SIGNS AND MANAGEMENT OF HORSES FROM ENGLAND DIAGNOSED WITH TEMPOROHYOID OSTEOARTHROPATHY V Palus, B Bladon, GB Cherubini, SE Powell, TRC Greet, CM Marr 5. TWO SKELETAL MUSCLE ISOFORMS OF THE PTPLA GENE, WHICH IS MUTATED IN CANINE CENTRONUCLEAR MYOPATHY, LOCALISE TO THE ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM AND ARE DIFFERENTIALLY EXPRESSED DURING DEVELOPMENT GL Walmsley, IM McGonnell, M Maurer, L Tiret, RJ Piercy 6. IDIOPATHIC EPILEPSY RESULTING IN HIPPOCAMPAL AND PIRIFORM LOBE NECROSIS IN THREE CATS S Fors, J Jeserevics, S Cizinauskas 7. STUDIES ON THE ABCB1 GENE IN EPILEPTIC BORDER COLLIES TREATED WITH PHENOBARBITAL L Alves, T Leeb, A Jaggy, A Fischer, V Hulsmeyer, M Drogemuller 8. THE INCIDENCE OF SYRINGOMYELIA IN CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIELS J Parker, P Knowler, N Jeery, TJ McKinley, C Rusbridge

Abstracts 9. L-2 HYDROXYGLUTARIC ACIDURIA IN A YORKSHIRE TERRIER D Sanchez, J Mascort, A Zamora, R Artuch, AL Feliu-Pascual 10. COMPARISON OF RADIOGRAPHIC MEASUREMENTS OF ATLANTOAXIAL JOINT IN SMALL BREED DOGS WITH AND WITHOUT ATLANTOAXIAL INSTABILITY HJ Chen, YP Chang 11. NEUROLOGICAL SIGNS, IMAGING FINDINGS AND TREATMENT OPTIONS OF VENTRAL INTRASPINAL CYSTS IN 6 DOGS C Flieshardt, S Kramer, W Baumgartner, A Tipold 12. INTERIM BREEDING GUIDELINES FOR SYRINGOMYELIA 4 YEAR REPORT SP Knowler, AK McFadyen, C Rusbridge 13. PHENOTYPIC AND GENETIC CHARACTERIZATION OF SPINNING OR TAIL-CHASING IN BULL TERRIERS C Escriou, S Renier, K Tiira, C Dufaure de Citres, L Koskinen, P Arnold, H Lohi, A Thomas 14. DYSTROPHIN-DEFICIENT MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY IN A FRENCH BULLDOG C de la Fuente, GD Shelton, J Mol n, M Pumarola, LT Guo, S Anor 15. UPREGULATION OF TOLL-LIKE RECEPTOR 4 AND 5 ON CEREBROSPINAL FLUID MONOCYTES IN CANINE STEROID-RESPONSIVE MENINGITIS-ARTERITIS A Maiolini, R Carlson, A Tipold 16. THERMAL AND MECHANICAL THRESHOLD TESTING IN DOGS TREATED WITH LEVOMETHADONE; FENTANYL; ACEPROMAZINE OR SALINE MV Homann, SBR Kastner, S Kramer 17. COMPARISON OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING FEATURES WITH HISTOPATHOLOGICAL TYPE AND GRADE OF CANINE PRIMARY INTRA-AXIAL BRAIN TUMORS RT Bentley, CP Ober, GE Pluhar, RA Packer, A Litster, DA Feeney, JR Ohlfest 18. E-CADHERIN, A KEY-RECEPTOR INVOLVED IN LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES HOST INVASION, IS EXPRESSED IN BOVINE CRANIAL NERVE SCHWANN CELLS H Madarame, T Seuberlich, M Vandevelde, A Zurbriggen, A Oevermann 19. THE EFFECT OF PROLONGED STATUS EPILEPTICUS AS A RESULT OF INTOXICATION ON EPILEPTOGENESIS IN A UK CANINE POPULATION P Jull, L De Risio, C Horton, HA Volk 20. EXERCISE INDUCED NYSTAGMUS IN A DOG LP Arrol, R Goncalves, PM Smith 21. MRI FEATURES OF ONE CONFIRMED AND ONE SUSPECTED CASE OF BRACHIAL PLEXUS NEURITIS IN TWO DOGS GB Cherubini, A Caine, V Palus, BA Summers

4 22.

Abstracts INFECTIOUS MENINGOENCEPHALOMYELITIS IN DOGS: META-ANALYSIS OF 417 PUBLISHED CASES FROM 1970 TO 2008 LS Duchene, ML Delignette-Muller, C Escriou

23.

GLIOMATOSIS CEREBRI IN A FAMILY OF BEARDED COLLIES D Henke, D Gorgas, M Vandevelde, J Lang, F Steen, D York, PJ Dickinson, T Leeb, L Alves, A Oevermann

24.

PREOPERATIVE MRI FINDINGS AS PREDICTORS OF POST-OPERATIVE NEUROLOGICAL DETERIORATION IN DOGS WITH TUMORS OF THE ANTERIOR CRANIAL FOSSA M Kitagawa, D Ito, M Okada, K Ono, H Yamada, N Tanaka, S Ota, T Watari, S Tanaka

25.

ABSOLUTE METABOLITE CONCENTRATIONS IN THE CEREBRUM AND THE CEREBELLUM OF HEALTHY ADULT DOGS MEASURED USING MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY K Ono, M Kitagawa, D Ito, N Tanaka, Y Yamaya, S Ohba, T Sano, T Watari

26.

THE EFFECT OF SKULL CONFORMATION (BRACHYCEPHALIC, MESATICEPHALIC AND DOLICHCEPHALIC) ON OLFACTORY BULB POSITION IN THE DOG AK Hussein, M Sullivan, J Penderis

14.30:

INVITED SPEAKERS SESSION Paddy Mannion WHAT IS THE PLACE OF CT IMAGING?

15.00: 6)

FREE COMMUNICATIONS: ELECTROMYOGRAPHY AND ELECTRONEUROGRAPHY, A STANDARD BUT CURRENT TECHNIQUE IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF PERIPHERAL NERVE SHEATH TUMORS: RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF 39 CASES M le Chevoir, JL Thibaud, S Blot

7)

MULTIDRUG RESISTANCE PROTEIN EXPRESSION IN CANINE INTRACRANIAL OLIGODENDROGLIOMAS F Stabile, L de Risio, LA Matiasek, A Theobald, K Matiasek

15.30: 16.00: 8)

Coee break, poster exhibition and sponsors FREE COMMUNICATIONS LOCAL ANTI-ANGIOGENIC TREATMENT OF CANINE INTRACRANIAL TUMOURS LA Matiasek, SR Platt, AL Feliu-Pasqual, L De Risio, S Murphy, R Bjerkvig

9)

ARE MICROGLIA RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SECONDARY WAVE IN CANINE SPINAL CORD INJURY? VM Stein, TMA Boekho, EM Ensinger, R Carlson, P Bock, W Baumgartner, K Rohn, A Tipold

16.30: 18.00: 19.00:

Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the European Society and College of Veterinary Neurology closing of the day GALA DINNER ROBINSON COLLEGE SATURDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER

08.30:

Registration SURGERY AND NEUROSURGERY

Abstracts 09.00: INVITED SPEAKERS SESSION J Fawcett OVERVIEW OF THE TRANSLATION OF EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES FOR SCI INTO THE CLINIC 10.00: N Granger OUTCOME MEASURES FOR SPINAL SURGERY 10.45: 11.15: Coee break, poster exhibition and sponsors INVITED SPEAKERS SESSION ON NEW TECHNIQUES IN SPINAL SURGERY T Gemmill USE OF INTERVERTEBRAL SPACERS FOR CERVICAL SPONDYLOPATHY-ASSOCIATED DISC PROTRUSION 12.15: K Krause USE OF SOP PLATES IN SPINAL FIXATION 13.15: 1. POSTER SESSION II SURGICAL TREATMENT OF DISK ASSOCIATED CERVICAL SPONDYLOMYELOPATHY BY A DISTRACTABLE VERTEBRAL TITANIUM CAGE S De Decker, J Caemaert, M Tshamala, I Gielen, H van Bree, T Bosmans, K Chiers, L Van Ham 2. BRAIN ABSCESS IN 6 CATS DUE TO A BITE WOUND: MRI FINDINGS, SURGICAL MANAGEMENT AND OUTCOME C Costanzo, LS Garosi, EN Glass, C Rusbridge, CE Stalin, HA Volk 3. DIFFERENCES IN CEREBROSPINAL FLUID ANALYSIS IN CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIELS WITH CHIARI-LIKE MALFORMATION WITH OR WITHOUT SYRINGOMYELIA DE Whittaker, K English, IM McGonnell, H A Volk 4. EVOLUTION OF CLINICAL SIGNS AND PREDICTORS OF OUTCOME AFTER CONSERVATIVE TREATMENT OF DISK ASSOCIATED CERVICAL SPONDYLOMYELOPATHY IN DOGS S De Decker, I Gielen, L Duchateau, I Van Soens, A Oevermann, I Polis, H van Bree, L Van Ham 5. PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING FINDINGS IN DOGS WITH CERVICAL INTERVERTEBRAL DISK DISEASE EM Ensinger, C Flieshardt, TM Boekho, M Fork, S Kramer, A Tipold 6. EFFECTS OF GABAPENTIN AS ADD-ON MEDICATION ON PAIN AFTER INTERVERTEBRAL DISC SURGERY IN DOGS SA Aghighi, A Tipold, M Piechotta, P Lewczuk, SBR Kastner 7. POSTTRAUMATIC EPILEPSY IN DOGS AND CATS S Steinmetz, C Brauer, K Rohn, W Loscher, A Tipold 8. PROGRESSION OF OTITIS MEDIA WITH EFFUSION IN THE CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIEL SJ McGuinness, EJ Friend, P Knowler, ND Jeery, C Rusbridge

6 9.

Abstracts BEHAVIOUR ANALYSIS OF CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIEL DIAGNOSED WITH CHIARI-LIKE MALFORMATION AND SYRINGOMYELIA L Rutherford, A Wessmann, C Rusbridge, I McGonnell, HA Volk

10.

MENINGOENCEPHALITIS IN A BLONDE AQUITAINE BULL CAUSED BY LISTERIA INNOCUA PRD Rocha, A Dalmasso, C Grattarola, B Iulini, C Casalone, MT Bottero, MT Capucchio

11.

HISTOLOGICAL AND IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATION OF MUSCLE FROM CALVES TREATED WITH GROWTH PROMOTERS: PRELIMINARY DATA E Biasibetti, D Catalano, RJ Piercy, S Amedeo, B Biolatti, MT Capucchio

12.

EFFECT OF EXTRADURAL MORPHINE ON POSTOPERATIVE ANALGESIA AFTER SURGERY FOR THORACOLUMBAR INTERVERTEBRAL DISC EXTRUSION IN DOGS F Aprea, GB Cherubini, V Palus, E Vettorato, N Girard, F Corletto

13.

EVALUATION OF LUMBOSACRAL NERVE ROOT CONDUCTION IN CHICKENS BY ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL TESTING AND HIGH-RESOLUTION SPINAL MAGNETIC STIMULATION SR Bader, A Fischer, D Emrich, U Juetting, T Weyh, B Kaspers, K Matiasek

14.

ENTRAPPED L7 DORSAL ROOT GANGLIA SHOW AN INCREASED EXPRESSION OF CALCIUM CHANNEL SUBUNIT ALPHA2DELTA K Matiasek, F Steen, T Goedde

15.

NERVE GROWTH FACTOR (NGF) PROMOTES PERIPHERAL NERVE REGENERATION AND BEHAVIOURAL RECOVERY FOLLOWING PERIPHERAL NERVE INJURY AA Webb, SWP Kemp, S Dhaliwal, S Syed, SK Walsh, R Midha

16.

SEX-RELATED DIFFERENCES IN RECOVERY OF YOUNG ADULT WISTAR RATS AFTER SPINAL CORD INJURY AA Webb, S Ngan

17.

PROGNOSTIC FACTORS FOR CANINE INTRACRANIAL MENINGIOMA RT Bentley, D Faissler, P March, A Mareschal, G Moore, GM Silver

18.

ASSESSMENT OF SAFE CORRIDORS FOR PEDICLE SCREW INSERTION IN CANINE LUMBOSACRAL VERTEBRAE L Smolders, G Voorhout, R van de Ven, N Bergknut, GCM Grinwis, HAW Hazewinkel, BP Meij

19.

EXPRESSION OF MULTIDRUG RESISTANCE PROTEINS IN CANINE INTRACRANIAL MENINGIOMAS A Theobald, L De Risio, L Matiasek, F Stabile, K Matiasek

20.

PROXIMAL TIBIAL SENSORY CONDUCTION TIME IN DOGS AND CATS: REFERENCE VALUES E Bianchi, M Ravera, G Melis, P L Dodi, M Dondi

21.

NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION OF ACUTE POLYRADICULONEUROPATHY IN DOGS: RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF 15 CASES G Melis, M Ravera, M Dondi, E Bianchi

22.

DERMOID SINUS AND SPINA BIFIDA IN THREE DOGS AND A CAT AM Kiviranta, AK Lappalainen, K Hagner, TS Jokinen

Abstracts 23. EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT PH ON CHOLINESTERASES ACTIVITY AND BIMOLECULAR RATE CONSTANT OF DICHLORVOS IN THE TISSUES OF FOOD ANIMALS KA Askar, C Kudi, J Moody 24. ADD ON GABAPENTIN THERAPY AT-HOME IN DOGS WITH CLUSTER SEIZURES M Partej, M Leschnik, JG Thalhammer, A Pakozdy 25. ACTIVATION TECHNIQUES IN THE EEG OF HEALTHY AND DISEASED CATS C Brauer, SBR Kastner, AM Kulka, A Tipold 14.45: INVITED SPEAKERS SESSION ON LUMBOSACRAL (LS) SURGERY: CHOICES AND OUTCOMES F Steen FUSION TECHNIQUES 15.15: T Godde FORAMINOTOMY 15.45: K Krause SOP PLATES FOR LS FIXATION / FUSION 16.15: T Harcourt-Brown FUNCTIONAL MEASURES FOR LS DISEASE 16.30: 17.00: 10) Coee break, poster exhibition and sponsors FREE COMMUNICATIONS MODIFIED DORSAL APPROACH TO THE LATERAL CERVICAL SPINE AE Fauber, RL Bergman 11) THORACOLUMBAR PARTIAL LATERAL CORPECTOMY IN 62 DOGS: SLOT MORPHOMETRY AND SPINAL CORD DECOMPRESSION T Flegel, I Boettcher, E Ludewig, P Boettcher 17.30: 18.00: John Presthus and Poster awards Closing remarks

Abstracts Aims: 1) To evaluate if the NP hydrogel lls the entire nucleus cavity and if this can be visualised using radiography, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). 2) To investigate by radiography if the NP hydrogel is able to restore disc height after swelling in nucleotomized spinal segments. In three canine spinal specimens from middle-sized mixed breed dogs the nuclei pulposi from L7-S1 were isolated and the dimensions were measured using a Vernier caliper. Based on the averaged measurements of these three lumbosacral discs the NP hydrogel prototype was fabricated and inserted in its dry form (xerogel) into a canine cadaveric spinal segment and allowed to swell overnight at 38 C. The integrity of the NP implant and the lling of the nucleus cavity were assessed before and after swelling using radiography, CT, and MRI. Following imaging the NP hydrogel was macroscopically assessed in situ by dissection of the spinal specimen. In 10 other spinal specimens the disc height of the L7-S1 intervertebral disc was measured on lateral radiographs before and after nucleotomy and after insertion and swelling of the NP hydrogel. Both on imaging and macroscopic evaluation the NP hydrogel appeared to have a very good t. After insertion and swelling of the NP hydrogel, normal disc height was restored in 9 of the 10 spinal segments.

FREE COMMUNICATIONS

DIAGNOSTIC UTILITY OF VOLUMETRIC BREATH-HOLD EXAMINATION MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING IN DOGS WITH FACIAL NEUROPATHY. PM Smith1, R Goncalves1, JF McConnell1. 1University of Liverpool, Leahurst, UK. Individual cranial nerves can be dicult to identify using conventional MR imaging sequences. In the current study, we utilised volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination (VIBE) sequences, a T1-weighted ultra fast gradient echo sequence that permits rapid acquisition of thin tissue slices. 12 animals with facial neuropathy and no clinical evidence of brainstem disease underwent MR imaging of the brain. A group of 16 dogs presented for brain MR imaging and showing no neurological decits indicative of caudal brainstem disease were used as control cases. In all dogs, T2-weighted transverse, sagittal and dorsal plane images, and transverse FLAIR and T1-weighted images were obtained; transverse T1-weighted and VIBE sequences with 1 mm slice thickness were obtained following gadolinium administration. Images were examined independently and in a random order by two board certied neurologists; both were blinded to the clinical presentation and to animal demographic data. Clinical examination showed unilateral facial neuropathy in 9 dogs and bilateral paralysis in 3 dogs; one dog with unilateral paralysis at the time of the MRI scan subsequently acquired contralateral facial neuropathy. 8 dogs with unilateral facial neuropathy also had vestibular dysfunction localised to the same side as the aected facial nerve; 2/3 dogs with bilateral facial neuropathy had bilateral peripheral vestibular dysfunction, with no vestibular eye movements. The presence of post-contrast hyperintensity of the facial and vestibulocochlear nerves was assessed subjectively by both observers using the VIBE sequence. Using clinical evidence of facial neuropathy as the gold standard, observer 1 identied aected facial nerves with a sensitivity of 73% (95% CI interval: 44.8% - 91.0%) and a specicity of 100% (95% CI: 89.7% - 100.0%). Observer 2 identied aected nerves with a sensitivity of 93% (95% CI: 66.0% - 99.6%) and a specicity of 86.0% (95% CI: 71.3% - 94.1%). In dogs with unilateral facial neuropathy, hyperintensity of the aected nerve was identied correctly by observer 1 in 8/9 dogs and by observer 2 in 9/9 dogs. Observer 1 did not identify bilateral hyperintensity of the facial nerves in dogs with bilateral facial neuropathy, instead recording the nerve with the more intense contrast enhancement, whereas observer 2 correctly identied this condition in 2/3 dogs. Hyperintensity of the vestibulocochlear nerve was noted by observer 1 in 3/12 nerves and by observer 2 in 8/ 12 nerves. VIBE MRI analysis is a sensitive and specic method of identifying contrast enhancement of the facial nerve in animals with facial neuropathy.

AGREEMENT OF MYELOGRAPHY, POSTMYELOGRAPHIC COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY (CTM) AND LOW-FIELD MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI) IN DOGS WITH DISK ASSOCIATED CERVICAL SPONDYLOMYELOPATHY: A RANDOMIZED, BLINDED STUDY. S De Decker1,2, I Gielen1, L Duchateau1, N Corzo3, Hvan Bree1, K Kromhout1, T Bosmans1, LVan Ham1. 1Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium, 2The Royal Veterinary College, London, UK, 3Davies Veterinary Specialists, Hertfordshire, UK. Disk associated cervical spondylomyelopathy (DA-CSM) can be diagnosed by myelography, CTM or MRI. The purpose of this study was to determine the intraobserver, interobserver and intermethod agreement of myelography, CTM and low-eld MRI in dogs with DA-CSM. Twenty-two dogs with DA-CSM were prospectively investigated and underwent myelography, followed by CTM and MRI. After randomization, all studies were presented twice to 4 blinded observers. The following parameters were assessed by all three techniques: number, site and direction of spinal cord compression; narrowed intervertebral disk spaces; vertebral body abnormalities; spondylosis deformans; and abnormal articular facets. Intervertebral foraminal stenosis was assessed on CTM and MRI. Intraobserver, interobserver, and intermethod agreement were calculated by j and weighted j statistics. Myelography demonstrated very good to good intraobserver agreement, while CTM and MRI demonstrated only moderate intraobserver agreement for most assessed parameters. The three evaluated diagnostic techniques demonstrated moderate to fair interobserver and intermethod agreement for most assessed parameters. The site and direction of worst spinal cord compression were the most reliably assessed parameters with always very good or good intraobserver, interobserver or intermethod agreement for the dierent imaging modalities. Assessment of abnormal articular facets and intervertebral foraminal stenosis were the least reliably assessed parameters with poor interobserver agreement for all evaluated imaging modalities. Six of 22 dogs developed postmyelographic seizures and 3 of 22 dogs experienced postmyelographic neurological deterioration. The latter was transient in 2 of the 3 dogs. There is considerable variation in image interpretation between dierent observers and imaging modalities in dogs with DA-CSM. It is suggested that the evaluated diagnostic modalities should be considered as complementary to each other.

AN IMAGING STUDY OF A NUCLEUS PULPOSUS HYDROGEL IN CANINE CADAVERIC SPINES. N Bergknut1,2, L Smolders1, LH Koole3, K Saralidze3, G Voorhout1, R Hagman2, AS Lagerstedt2, Avan der Veen4, HAW Hazewinkel1, BP Meij1. 1Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands, 2Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden, 3Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, The Netherlands, 4VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Early intervention in the process of intervertebral disc degeneration may be aimed at replacing the diseased nucleus pulposus (NP). A recently developed NP replacement was comprised of the hydrogel N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidinone copolymerized with 2-(4-iodobenzoyl)-oxo-ethyl methacrylate. Novel features of the NP hydrogel were intrinsic radiopacity of the biomaterial and its ability to swell in situ to t the cavity created after nucleotomy.

Abstracts THE CUTANEOUS TRUNCI REFLEX AS A LOCALISING AND GRADING TOOL IN DOGS WITH THORACOLUMBAR SPINAL CORD INJURIES. R Gutierrez1, J Edgar1, A Wessmann1, GB Cherubini2, J Penderis1. 1School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK., 2Dick White Referrals, Newmarket, UK. Thoracolumbar spinal cord injuries are a common neurological presentation in canine patients. Accurate localisation and grading of the lesion severity is essential for planning and interpretation of diagnostic imaging and for formulating the prognosis. However, one of the limitations of the most commonly used severity grading scales is their poor ability to subdivide dogs presenting with ambulatory or non-ambulatory paresis, which are the most common presentations. The cutaneous trunci reex (CTR) is a polysynaptic reex with inter-segmental spinal cord transmission that is commonly used as an aid to localisation, however, no study has examined the accuracy of the CTR for localisation and at what stage in the severity grade it is lost. The aims of this study were therefore to examine whether there is a correlation between clinical severity grade and loss of the CTR, and therefore its use as a ne discriminator of severity grade, and to evaluate the accuracy of the CTR where a cut-o is present to further localise thoracolumbar spinal cord injuries. 47 dogs with spinal disease localised to the thoracolumbar spinal cord segments (T3-L3) were included in this prospective study. Data collected included age, breed, gender and duration of neurological signs. The CTR was elicited on both sides before any further investigations and the presence and vertebral cut-o level were recorded. All dogs were videotaped from the side and from behind a minimum of ten steps while being lead walked. The gait was scored blinded to CTR status using a 14-point scoring system described previously and the standard 0 to 5 grading scale. The lesion localisation was described using advanced imaging (magnetic resonance imaging in 38 dogs and myelography in 6 dogs). The nal diagnosis, lesion localisation, lesion lateralisation and the cranial extent of the lesion were determined. 83% of cases had a CTR cut o and it was bilateral in 87% of cases. The CTR cut o level ranged from 0 to 4 vertebrae caudal to the lesion, with 59% of cases having a cut o 2-3 vertebrae caudal to the lesion. In all cases where a unilateral CTR cut-o was present, the side of the lesion corresponded to the side of the cut o. Correlation of the severity of the lesion with the presence or absence of a CTR cut-o demonstrated that the presence of a CTR cut-o was associated with a more severe 14point grading score, and that a CTR cut-o was discriminatory for severity in dogs graded as a severity of 2 on the traditional 5point grading scale. The presence or absence of the CTR is therefore a reliable indicator of localisation, allowing accurate planning of advanced imaging. The CTR is furthermore a useful clinical tool for further grading of spinal cord injury presenting as an ambulatory paresis, with associated advantages of rening the prognosis and more accurate measurement of the eect of therapeutic interventions.

lent, acute polyradiculoneuritis, have been shown to bind the neural and glial components of the NMJ in a murine model of GBS. The ganglioside composition of these structures determines which of them are bound and subjected to complement-mediated injury. In 40 mice expressing uorescent proteins in their axons (CFP) and Schwann cells (GFP), the NMJs of the sternohyoid (SH) and sternomastoid (SM) muscles were topically exposed to anti-ganglioside antibodies with dierent anities to the various gangliosides followed by a source of complement. Under general anaesthesia, the NMJs of these muscles were assessed for their integrity before application of antibody and the lesion was documented in the SH by imaging three NMJs per mouse before and after induction of the injury. In ten of the mice, additional images were taken during progression of the injury. The NMJs were identied by location and their individual nicotinic Acetylcholine receptor-pattern. Following either euthanasia or recovery of the mice, the SH and SM muscles were reimaged ex vivo either immediately or after 1, 2, 3 or 5 days. During in vivo imaging sessions all NMJs imaged before application of antibody could also be reimaged after induction of the injury. In ex vivo imaging sessions in average at least two of the three in vivo imaged NMJs (total mean 74%) could be reimaged. Depending on the anity of the dierent anti-ganglioside antibodies applied, a loss of CFP overlying the NMJ, predominantly a loss of GFP overlying the NMJ or a loss of both was observed. In control animals, no changes to the uorescent proteins were noted. Auxiliary investigations revealed that the loss of CFP coincides with a loss of stainable neurolament, whereas the GFP lost over the NMJ is replaced by Ethidium-stained nuclei. In the NMJs undergoing regeneration a return of uorescent protein could be demonstrated. The combination of in and ex vivo imaging in the system described above lends itself for investigations of immune-mediated injuries to the presynaptic structures of the murine NMJ. Information not only on the acute pathology, but also on regenerative changes can be obtained.

ELECTROMYOGRAPHY AND ELECTRONEUROGRAPHY, A STANDARD BUT CURRENT TECHNIC IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF PERIPHEREAL NERVE SHEATH TUMORS: RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF 39 CASES. M le Chevoir1, JL Thibaud1, S Blot1. 1Unite de Neurologie, Ecole Nationale Veterinaire dAlfort, France. Abnormal spontaneous activity and compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs) amplitudes decrease were previously associated with PNST. The study is aimed at actualizing these data and evaluates their signicance in the diagnostic of periphereal nerve sheath tumors (PNST). Material and methods: 39 cases where studied retrospectively. The diagnostic of PNST was established by imaging (MRI or CT-scan), surgical, post mortem, cytological, histological ndings or by several of these diagnostic procedures. Spontaneous muscular activity and CMAPs were recorded using technics previously described (Cuddon 2002, Walker et al. 1979) and a score was awarded to each muscle. Radial and ulnar nerves or tibial, peroneal and femoral nerves were tested omo- and contra-lateral respectively. CMAPs were studied as a percentage of the contralateral value recorded in a normal nerve. H and F waves were obtained following technics previously described (Knecht et al. 1983). Results. 37 dogs and 2 cats were studied. Thirty forelimbs and 9 hind limbs (7 sciatic and 2 femoral aections) were studied. Abnormal spontaneous activity was found in all except one patient. It was found in paraspinal muscles in 5 dogs. Spinal involvement of the tumor was conrmed in 3/5 and suspected in one. Nine other patients had a tumor with spinal involvement without abnormal spontaneous activity in paraspinal muscles. Finally, three had spinal involvement without information about paraspinal activity. Radial and ulnar CMAPs were both normal in 5 (of 30) dogs. Ulnar nerve was aected alone in 4 dogs and radial nerve in 7 dogs. In the 14 other dogs, there were aected both. Tibial and Fibular CMAPs were normal in 1 dog. They were aected alone in 1 dog and were aected both in 4 (of 7) dogs. CMAPs amplitudes were not

A COMBINATION OF IN VIVO AND EX VIVO IMAGING TO MONITOR DEGENERATION AND REGENERATION OF THE MURINE NEUROMUSCULAR JUNCTION FOLLOWING IMMUNE-MEDIATED INJURY. A Rupp1, I Morrison1, SK Halstead1, HJ Willison1. 1Division of Clinical Neurosciences, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of Glasgow, UK. Over recent years, transgenic mice expressing uorescent proteins in the neural and glial structures of their peripheral nervous system (PNS) have been used to not only monitor development, but also de- and regenerative changes to the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) following traumatic injury to the PNS. Anti-ganglioside antibodies, which are considered important mediators of the disease in the human peripheral nerve disorder Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) and might also play a role in its canine equiva-

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Abstracts University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA, Cl nica Veterinaria La Merced, Calpe, Spain, 4NorLux Neuro-Oncology, Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen and Centre Research de Public ` Sante, Luxembourg Adequate blood supply is pre-requisite for tumour growth, and solid tumours are dependent on angiogenesis for expansion beyond 2mm in diameter. Endostatin is an anti-angiogenic factor that inhibits endothelial proliferation and migration and also induces endothelial apoptosis. Endostatin is therefore currently being studied as part of cancer research. Here we describe a pilot study similar to a phase I trial including 4 cases of canine intracranial neoplasia primarily treated with a combination of cytoreduction and local endostatin. All dogs presented for seizure activity and a mass in the olfactory/ frontal lobe area was diagnosed on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). After transfrontal craniectomy, cytoreduction of the mass was performed. Rat embryonic cardiomyoblasts, transfected with the human gene for endostatin and encapsulated in alginate gel beads, were then implanted. Histopathology identied 2 tumours as meningiomas and 2 tumours as gliomas. One dog developed polyarthritis, endocarditis and heart failure and died 2 weeks post surgery and one dog was euthanased 2.5 months after the surgery due to seizures. Two dogs had repeat MRI 3 months after implantation of endostatin. The dog with the glioma revealed slightly contrast enhancing post-surgical changes but no residual mass. The dog with the meningioma revealed heterogeneous material with patchy and peripheral contrast enhancement at the cytoreduction site plus an extraaxial mass 50% of its original size. There was evidence of tumour regrowth on MRI 9 months post implantation of endostatin and the dog was euthanased one year after the surgery due to disease progression. The dog with the glioma revealed tumour regrowth on MRI 8 months post surgery and underwent subsequent hypofractionated radiotherapy. Repeat MRI at 11 and 17 months post surgery revealed no tumour regrowth. This patient died 26 months post surgery, presumably due to the tumour. None of the patients suered immediate postsurgical neurological deterioration (more severe seizures or additional neurological decits) suggesting that endostatin encapsulated in alginate beads does not cause instant local adverse reactions, and on repeat MRI 3 months after the implantation no changes compatible with brain tissue reaction (eg inammatory response) were visible. Even though time span to re-growth after cytoreduction and local endostatin treatment did not prove superior to patients that undergo surgery and radiotherapy, adjunct endostatin treatment might signicantly prolong survival time or be a valuable option for patients that are no candidates for radiotherapy treatment.

correlated with the duration of the clinical signs. When evaluable, H-waves were absent in 10 of 19 cases, and had an increase latency in one case. Analogous results were obtained for Fwaves: respectively 9/21 and 1/21. When evaluable, H- and Fwaves were abnormal (one or both) in 6 of 11 cases with spinal involvement of the tumor. This study shows that EMG is a sensitive method for the diagnosis of PNST. Abnormal spontaneous activity in paraspinal muscles has a positive predictive value of 60% in the determination of a spinal involvement of the tumor. Nevertheless, neither the intensity of the abnormal spontaneous activity score nor the percentage in the reduction of the CMAPs are correlated with the duration of clinical signs. Long latency action potentials are abnormal in appromatively one half of the patients conrming the proximal location of the PNST but failed in predicting a spinal involvement. To conclude, EMG is sensitive for the diagnostic of PNST and abnormal activity in paraspinal muscle may predict spinal involvement.

MULTIDRUG RESISTANCE PROTEIN EXPRESSION IN CANINE INTRACRANIAL OLIGODENDROGLIOMAS. F Stabile1, Lde Risio1, LA Matiasek1, A Theobald1, K 1 1 Matiasek . Animal Heath Trust, Newmarket, UK The success of chemotherapy depends on the eective intracellular concentration of a cytotoxic medication. Transmembranous multiple drug resistance proteins-(MDRP) expressed by tumour cells and intratumoural blood vessels may compromise the delivery of the chemotherapeutic agent by either blocking its uptake from the blood into the tumour or by expulsion from tumour cell cytoplasm. Failure of chemotherapy in human oligodendrogliomas has been recently explained by functional expression of a variety of MDRP. This preclinical study was aimed to assess the risk of MDRP expression in canine oligodendrogliomas. The presence of MDR-1, BXP and MRP-1 that all have been described in human brain tumours, was immunohistochemically assessed in 12 archival canine samples. The expression levels were semiquantitatively scored with respect to the tumour cells and intratumoural blood vessels. Furthermore the pattern was compared to the adjacent brain tissue and reactive intratumoural astrocytes. All oligodendroglioma samples (12/12) showed a very strong luminal expression of at least one of the proteins on the vascular endothelium. MRP-1 and BXP were most prevalent (12/12) and exhibited similar expression levels. The intensity of the staining thereby was even stronger than in intact vessels of the adjacent brain tissue. Notably the outer aspect of glomeruloid capillary proliferates and the perivascular astrocytes also stained markedly positive. In contrast, only in one third (4/12) of the tumours a very mild and diuse cytoplasmic immunopositivity was recognised. One sample stained positive for BXP, two were double positive for BXP and MDR-1 and one sample expressed all three markers. This is the rst report elucidating the expression of MDRP in canine oligodendrogliomas. Similar to the human counterpart, all canine tumours show a strong expression of MDRP in tumour capillaries which hypothetically poses a limit to the ecacy of chemotherapy. In contrast the expression in tumour cell is inconsistent and characterized by a diuse cytoplasmic pattern which does not suggest a functional integration into the cell membrane. Hence, disruption of the blood-tumour barrier may expose the less protected glioma cells to an eective cytotoxic concentration and thereby improve the outcome of drug therapy of canine oligodendrogliomas.

ARE MICROGLIA RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SECONDARY WAVE IN CANINE SPINAL CORD INJURY? VM Stein1, TMA Boekho1, EM Ensinger1, R Carlson1, P Bock2, W Baumgartner2, K Rohn3, A Tipold1. 1Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, 2Department of Pathology, 3Institute of Biometry, Epidemiology, and Information Processing, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany. Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a common debilitating disease. Pathophysiologically, a primary injury encompassing the mechanical impact with damage to neurons, axons, and vasculature is dierentiated from a secondary wave of injury occurring minutes to weeks later and comprising increased production of free radicals, excessive release of excitatory neurotransmitters and inammatory reactions. The role of activated microglia in SCI is controversially discussed and has to be considered a doubleedged sword. Both, benecial and deleterious eects have been attributed to these cells. Particularly, the contribution to the secondary wave might be crucial. The purpose of the presented study was to assess microglial involvement in degenerative and regenerative processes, particularly the secondary wave following SCI. Microglia from 15 dogs with SCT was isolated and characterized ex vivo in terms of morphology, immunophenotype, and function by ow cytometry.

LOCAL ANTI-ANGIOGENIC TREATMENT OF CANINE INTRACRANIAL TUMOURS. LA Matiasek1, SR Platt2, AL Feliu-Pasqual3, L De Risio1, S Murphy1, R Bjerkvig4. 1Animal Heath Trust, Newmarket, UK, 2College of Veterinary Medicine

Abstracts The results were compared to region-specic ndings obtained from healthy control dogs (n = 30). The histopathological exam conrmed the diagnosis of SCI in the cervical (n = 5) and thoracolumbar (n = 10) spinal cord, and revealed a signicant activation of microglia/ macrophages and upregulation of myelinophagia in dogs with SCI 5 days or longer prior to euthanasia. Microglial ex vivo examination showed signicantly increased expressions of B7-1, B7-2, MHC II, CD1c, ICAM-1, CD14, CD44, and CD45, and signicantly enhanced phagocytosis and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in SCI compared to healthy controls. These results show that microglial cells are highly activated in SCI with an immunophenotype emphazising their function as costimulators of T cells, in leukocyte adhesion and aggregation, and for lipid and glycolipid presentation. Microglial phagocytosis might play a pivotal role in removal of injured or damaged cells and initialize subsequent healing processes. However, as ROS can be directly neurotoxic an enhanced microglial generation might lead to bystander damage of the traumatized spinal cord and might therefore add to the deleterious eects of secondary injury. The dog model might serve as a valuable tool in translational medicine to ll the gap between insights gained from rodent studies and application of new treatment strategies in dogs and humans. For the development of such strategies the suppression of ROS generation should be recommended.

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MODIFIED DORSAL APPROACH TO THE LATERAL CERVICAL SPINE. AE Fauber1, RL Bergman2. 1Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, 2Carolina Veterinary Specialists, Charlotte, North Carolina The objective of this study was to evaluate the morbidity and mortality associated with a new approach to the lateral cervical spine. The medical records of dogs that had a modied approach performed from 2004-2010 were reviewed. Twenty dogs were included. Age, weight, lesion localization, intra-operative and post-operative complications, diagnosis and days from surgery to discharge were evaluated. The average age of the intervertebral disk disease (IVDD) patients, patients with neoplasia and patients with cervical spondylomyelopathy(CSM) was 7.7, 7.2 and 3.7 years respectively. The average weight of IVD, neoplasia and CSM patients were 27.4, 23.5 and 47.9 kg respectively. The most common site at which surgery was performed was C5-C6 and included C3-C4 to C7-T1. Intra-operative complications were encountered in 5 patients and included hemorrhage (4) and surgery at the wrong site (1). Post-operatively 1 patient had a blood transfusion reaction and died. Six patients were diagnosed with IVDD, 8 patients had neoplasia, and 6 patients had CSM. Patients were discharged from the hospital a mean of 3 days following surgery. The modied approach to the lateral cervical spine allowed for excellent lateral exposure of the spine and spinal cord for multiple etiologies. Hemorrhage that occurred during surgery was controlled using gel foam and electrocautery, but did result in the need for a blood transfusion in one dog. Extended hospitalization was avoided. Overall, the modied dorsal approach to the lateral cervical spine appears to be a useful option in patients with lateralizing cervical disease.

Therefore, thoracolumbar partial lateral corpectomy (TLPLC) has recently been introduced for ventral disc herniation. We investigated ecacy and safety TLPLC in dogs with IVDD causing ventral spinal cord compression. The objectives were 1. to determine degree of spinal cord decompression, 2. to determine actual size and angle of the created slot. Inclusion criteria were: diagnosed IVDD between Th10 and L5 with the majority of disc material located ventrally, presurgical spinal imaging using myelography, computed tomography-myelography (CT-myelography) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as well as postsurgical spinal computed tomography (CT). 62 dogs treated with 70 corpectomies met the inclusion criteria. 51 dogs had a single TLPLC performed, whereas 8 dogs had 2 and 1 dog 3 corpectomies performed during the same surgical procedure. Surgery was performed as initially described by Moissonnier et al. 2004, except that after creating the slot the dorsal longitudinal ligament was partially resected in order to allow visualization of the spinal canal and the decompressed spinal cord after removal of disc material. After surgery, dogs underwent control CT-myelography using the still visible presurgically injected contrast agent in 58 dogs. In one dog, where the diagnosis was based on MRI, subarachnoidal contrast was injected after surgery for CT-myelography, and in 3 more dogs plain CT was performed without contrast injection. Decompression of the spinal cord was considered excellent in 57% and good in 31% of dogs. However, immediate revision was performed in 15% in order to achieve a better result. The actual mean slot dimensions were: 65% of vertebral body width for laterolateral extension, 44% of the vertebral body height for dorsoventral extension, 28% and 25% of the cranial and caudal vertebral body length respectively for craniocaudal extension. In 63% of cases, the slot was angled ventrally more than 10% o the horizontal, making decompression more dicult. The proximal part of a rib had to be resected for adequate drilling in 16%, whereas rib exarticulation without resection was performed in another 5% of cases. Lateral partial corpectomy is a surgical technique allowing for complete spinal cord decompression in ventral IVDD in the majority of cases.

POSTER SESSION I

VERTEBRAL CANAL AND VERTEBRAL BODY RATIOS IN DOGS WITH AND WITHOUT CLINICAL SIGNS OF DISK ASSOCIATED CERVICAL SPONDYLOMYELOPATHY. S De Decker1,2, I Gielen1, L Duchateau1, J Saunders1, Hvan Bree1, I Polis1, LVan Ham1. 1Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium, 2The Royal Veterinary College, London, UK The purpose of this study was to evaluate linear vertebral canal and vertebral body ratios, reecting vertebral canal size, vertebral canal shape and vertebral body shape in dogs with and without clinical signs of disk associated cervical spondylomyelopathy (DA-CSM). Fifty-ve dogs were prospectively investigated and were divided in three groups; the rst group consisted of clinically aected Doberman Pinschers (n=18), the second group consisted of clinically normal Doberman Pinschers (n=20), and the third group consisted of clinically normal English Foxhounds (n=17). All dogs underwent low-eld MRI of the cervical vertebral column. Using sagittal T1 weighted images; the following measurements were made from C3 to C7: cranial vertebral canal height (VCHcr), mid vertebral canal height (VCHm), caudal vertebral canal height (VCHcd), vertebral body length (VBL), and vertebral body height (VBH). From these measurements, the following ratios were calculated: canal height to body height ratio (CBR) dened as VCHm/VBH; vertebral canal height to body length ratio (CBLR) dened as VCHm/VBL; caudal canal to cranial canal height ratio (CCHR) dened as VCHcd/VCHcr; and the vertebral body height to body length ratio (BHLR) dened as VBL/VBH. The CBR and CBLR represent vertebral canal size, CCHR describes vertebral canal shape and BLHR describes

THORACOLUMBAR PARTIAL LATERAL CORPECTOMY IN 62 DOGS: SLOT MORPHOMETRY AND SPINAL CORD DECOMPRESSION. T Flegel1, I Boettcher1, E Ludewig1, P Boettcher1. 1Department of Small Animal Medicine, University of Leipzig, Germany Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) has traditionally been treated using a dorsolateral or lateral approach. However, removal of ventrally located disc material can be challenging using those techniques often resulting in iatrogenic spinal cord damage.

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Abstracts ventricles or in the basal part of the brain are dicult to accurately localize during operations. Such cases carry the risk that surgery will result in undue iatrogenic injury. To reduce this risk during brain surgery in human patients non-invasive intraoperative ultrasound is used for guidance. In this study, we investigated the value of this technique in canine patients. Dogs diagnosed with brain tumors by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and that underwent brain surgery at the Nihon University Animal Medical Center (ANMEC) between June 2008 and July 2009, were included in the study (3 dogs). Case 1: 6 year-old, 10.5 kg, male French bulldog; suspected diagnosis on imaging: glioma adjacent to left lateral ventricle. During the surgery, the tumor was recognizable on ultrasound imaging as a hyperechoic region. Histopathological diagnosis was brillary astrocytoma. Case 2: 8 year-old, 31 kg, castrated male at coated retriever; suspected diagnosis on imaging was frontal lobe meningioma. Intraoperative ultrasound ndings revealed an isointense region corresponding to the tumor location. Histopathological diagnosis was histiosarcoma. Case 3: 11 year-old, 7.8 kg, spayed female miniature schnauzer; suspected diagnosis on imaging was a meningioma at the cerebollopontine angle. This tumor appeared hyperechoic during intraoperative ultrasound. Histopathological diagnosis was meningioma. It was possible to obtain images of the brain tumor using intraoperative ultrasound in all dogs. The tumors could be easily distinguished from the outside of the dura mater without any complication, and the ultrasound images were useful in optimizing the surgical approach. Furthermore, of the location of blood vessels and residual tumor could be determined during surgery. It is possible that greater experience with the technique may allow tentative diagnosis of tumor type.

vertebral body shape. Finally, Pearsons correlation coecients were calculated between the canal occupying ratio of the spinal cord and both the CBR and CBLR. The canal occupying ratio was dened as the cross-sectional area of the spinal cord divided by the cross-sectional area of the vertebral canal. This ratio quanties the portion of the vertebral canal that is occupied by the spinal cord and indicates relative vertebral canal stenosis. Mean CBR, CBLR and BLHR values for Doberman Pinschers with DA-CSM were signicantly smaller compared with both groups of clinically normal dogs. The CCHR value for C7 was signicantly larger in clinically aected Doberman Pinschers compared to English Foxhounds. There were no signicant differences between clinically normal Doberman Pinschers and English Foxhounds. The Pearsons correlation coecients between CBR and the canal occupying ratio was 0.18 (P = 0.20) and between the CBLR and the canal occupying ratio 0.057 (P = 0.68). Doberman Pinschers with DA-CSM have signicantly smaller sagittal vertebral canal diameters, combined with shorter vertebral bodies and a funnel-shaped vertebral canal at C7. Breed specicity of the assessed vertebral ratios could not be demonstrated. Considering the very low and insignicant correlation coecients, it is suggested that vertebral canal to body ratios do not predict relative vertebral canal stenosis.

PREVALENCE, HERITABILITY AND GENETIC CORRELATIONS OF CONGENITAL SENSORINEURAL DEAFNESS AND PIGMENTATION PHENOTYPES IN ENGLISH BULL TERRIERS. L De Risio1, A McBrearty2, J Freeman1, J Penderis2, S Blott1, T Lewis1. 1The Animal Health Trust, Newmarket, UK;, 2School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, UK The objectives of the present study were to estimate prevalence, heritability and genetic correlations of congenital sensorineural deafness (CSD) and pigmentation phenotypes in English bull terriers. Full litters of purebred English bull terriers that presented to the Animal Health Trust (19992010) and University of Glasgow (2008-2010) for assessment of their hearing status by brain stem auditory evoked response (BAER) at 4-10 weeks of age were included. Heritability and genetic correlations were estimated using restricted estimate maximum likelihood. 601 puppies (293 female, 308 male) met the inclusion criteria. Median age at testing was 7.6 weeks. Of the 610 puppies, 540 (90%) had normal hearing status (NHS), 50 (8.2%) were unilaterally deaf (UD) and 11 (1.8%) were bilaterally deaf (BD). Coat colour was white (with or without a patch) in 330 puppies (82.4% NHS, 14.3% UD, 3.3% BD) and coloured in 271 puppies (98.9% NHS, 1.1% UD, 0.0% BD). Iris colour was brown bilaterally in all puppies but one who had 1 blue and 1 brown iris. The sire and dam hearing status was normal (based on BAER results) in 397 and 341 dogs respectively and unknown in the reminder. Heritability of deafness was estimated as 0.15 (0.078), using a linear model analysing trichotomous data (NHS/ UD/ BD), and 0.28 (0.176) using a logistic model analysing dichotomous data (NHS/ UD + BD). The genetic correlation between deafness (UD + BD) and white coat colour (with or without a patch) was estimated as 0.46 0.102. The prevalence of CSD was higher in white puppies than in coloured ones and the genetic correlation between deafness and white coat colour indicated that these traits are genetically associated. The low heritability may be due to the relatively small sample size.

NEUROLOGICAL SIGNS AND MANAGEMENT OF HORSES FROM ENGLAND DIAGNOSED WITH TEMPOROHYOID OSTEOARTHROPATHY. V Palus1, B Bladon2, GB Cherubini1, SE Powell3, TRC Greet3, CM Marr3. 1 Dick White Referrals, Newmarket, UK, 2Donnington Grove Veterinary Surgery, Newbury UK, 3Rossdale and Partners Veterinary Surgeons, Newmarket, UK Temporohyoid osteoarthropathy (THO) aects adult horses and results in the bony proliferation and ankylosis of the temporohyoid joint with possible subsequent fracture. It can cause various neurological signs ranging from head shaking to vestibular syndrome. While the disease is well described in horses from USA there is a lack of reports from Europe. This abstract describes the neurological signs and successful management in the group of horses from England. A retrospective search in two referral equine practices in England from 2005 to 2010 identied six cases. Median (range) age of the horses was 11.5 years (1-18). There were 3 mares, 2 geldings and 1 colt. Two were Thoroughbreds, two Thoroughbred crosses, one was an Anglo-Arabian and one was a Shetland pony. The median (range) duration of clinical signs before presentation was 7 days (0-90). At the presentation three horses were showing peripheral vestibular syndrome with facial paralysis, one was presented for dysphagia and facial hyperaesthesia, one for head hyperaesthesia and facial paralysis and one for investigation of head shaking. One horse had evidence of corneal ulcer at presentation. Treatment prior to referral was attempted in 3 horses, in one with non steroid anti-inammatory drugs (NSAIDs), one with NSAIDs and antimicrobials and one with corticosteroids. None of the horses improved on these medications. Diagnostic imaging included radiography, nuclear scintigraphy, computed tomography (CT) and guttural pouch endoscopy. The diagnosis was conrmed by guttural pouch endoscopy in all cases, CT in one case showed hypertrophy of the hyoid bone and scintigraphy revealed a mild increase in uptake of radionucleotide in the temporal bone in one of two cases. No predisposing conditions were identied. Four horses were treated surgically and two were managed conservatively. Surgical treatment consisted of ceratohyoidectomy while conservative management consisted of a combination of antimicrobials and NSAIDs. There were no major post-operative complications and complete recovery of neurological signs in 2 of

INTRAOPERATIVE ULTRASOUND IMAGING OF BRAIN TUMOR IN THREE DOGS. D Ito1, S Ohta1, M Kitagawa1, N Tanaka1, Y Yamaya1, S Ohba1, T Sano1, T Watari1. 1School of Veterinary Medicine, Nihon University, Kanagawa, Japan Tumors on the supercial aspect of the brain are easily approached surgically, whereas those within brain parenchyma,

Abstracts 4 cases. The two remaining cases had improved but still had residual neurological decits at follow-up of two months. This report of six cases of equine THO from England represents the largest series reported from Europe to date. THO is usually considered a disease of the adult horses but this group included one yearling. The neurological signs were mostly related to dysfunction of VII and VIII cranial nerves, however head shaking and dysphagia were also observed. Finally, the management depends of the severity of the clinical signs, and horses with mild signs were managed conservatively while surgery lead to partial or complete resolution of signs in more severe cases.

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TWO SKELETAL MUSCLE ISOFORMS OF THE PTPLA GENE, WHICH IS MUTATED IN CANINE CENTRONUCLEAR MYOPATHY, LOCALISE TO THE ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM AND ARE DIFFERENTIALLY EXPRESSED DURING DEVELOPMENT. GL Walmsley1, IM McGonnell1, M Maurer2, L Tiret2, RJ Piercy1. 1Royal Veterinary College, London, UK, 2Ecole Nationale Veterinaire dAlfort, INRA, Paris, France Centronuclear myopathies (CNM) are a heterogeneous group of inherited disorders characterised clinically by progressive weakness and skeletal muscle atrophy and histologically by abnormal internalised nuclei within myobres that appear immature. Identication of several genetic causes of human CNM suggests the disorders may be caused by dysfunctional phosphoinositide-mediated membrane tracking and defective Ttubule structure or function in skeletal muscle. In Labrador Retrievers, CNM is caused by a SINE insertion in the PTPLA gene, but the associated proteins normal function is largely unknown. In this study we investigated the relative expression and cellular localisation of the principal PTPLA variants during muscle dierentiation. RT-PCR from mRNA extracted from murine muscle enabled cloning of the two main striated muscle PTPLA splice variants (PTPLA and PTPLAd5) into an expression vector (pEGFP-C1) which allowed visualisation of the proteins via an enhanced green uorescent protein tag. Expression of eGFP-PTPLA and eGFPPTPLAd5 in C2C12 myoblasts and dierentiated myotubes each produced a similar ne reticular pattern. Both conventional and quantitative RT-PCR revealed that myoblast dierentiation to myotubes involves a relative reduction in expression of the shorter (PTPLAd5) transcript in comparison with PTPLA. In murine embryos (E14.5), RT-PCR revealed that PTPLAd5 is the main expressed variant; in adult mice, alternative splicing specically occurred in striated muscles which mainly expressed PTPLA. RT-PCR using primers designed to amplify a putative zebrash PTPLA homologue, also revealed two splice variants in extracted mRNA and a similar switch in their relative expression during development from gastrula/segmentation stages to freeswimming larvae and adult sh muscle. In conclusion, both PTPLA variants appear to localise to the endoplasmic reticulum in myoblasts and myotubes and an evolutionarily conserved relative change in expression of PTPLA isoforms occurs during development and into adulthood. This information contributes to our understanding of myobre dierentiation and the pathogenesis of centronuclear myopathies.

however it has been a matter of discussion if this also occur in cats. All hitherto published cases of hippocampus and piriform lobe necrosis in cats have been without any known previous history of seizures. The aim of this study is to describe a dierent presentation of necrosis of the hippocampus and piriform lobe in cats than previously reported. Three DSH cats presented with a well documented pre-existing history of seizures and were initially diagnosed with idiopatic epilepsy, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain was normal at that time. At a later point in time, after onset of severe cluster seizure activity, all three cats developed sudden behavior changes and MR imaging of the brain revealed lesions in the hippocampus and piriform lobes. Necrosis of the hippocampus and piriform lobe was conrmed by histopathology in two cats. All three cats had lack of evidence of any possibility of exposure to toxins. The presentation and results of magnetic resonance imaging and histopathology indicate that the necrosis of the hippocampus and the piriform lobe was a consequence of the seizures and not the cause of them in these cats.

STUDIES ON THE ABCB1 GENE IN EPILEPTIC BORDER COLLIES TREATED WITH PHENOBARBITAL. L Alves1, T Leeb2, A Jaggy1, A Fischer3, V Hulsmeyer3, M Drogemuller2. 1 Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Division of Clinical Neurology, 2Institute of Genetics, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Switzerland, 3Section of Neurology, Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany Border collies are often presented with severe epileptic seizures characterized by a high prevalence of cluster seizures and status epilepticus. Up to 71% of the cases are poorly controlled with the standard antiepileptic drugs and show refractory epilepsy. Variation in the ABCB1 gene seems to play a role in drug resistance in human and experimental epilepsy. In this study we propose that variation in the ABCB1 gene, encoding the permeability-glycoprotein, could have an inuence on phenobarbital resistance, which occurs with high frequency in epileptic Border collies. A population including 236 client-owned Border collies from Switzerland and Germany was investigated. Idiopathic epilepsy was diagnosed in 35 dogs, of which 62% were resistant to phenobarbital treatment. Clinical data were analyzed retrospectively regarding disease status, antiepileptic drug therapy and drug response. The frequency of a known 4-base pair deletion (c.296_299del) was determined in all 236 Border collies. In addition, the ABCB1 gene in four selected Border collies was completely sequenced to search for additional single nucleotide polymorphisms that would be therefore responsible for phenotypic variation in the permeability-glycoprotein. One out of 236 Border collies (0.4%) was heterozygous for the 4-base pair deletion in the ABCB1 gene. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms were found in the coding region of the ABCB1 gene in two epileptic phenobarbital treatment resistant dogs. One of these results is a substitution in the permeability-glycoprotein of methionine by a valine, the other was silent. An additional 12 single nucleotide polymorphisms were found in the non-coding regions. There was no association between the occurrence of the known 4-base pair deletion and epilepsy. There is additional variation in the ABCB1 gene in epileptic Border collies, which could lead to structural and functional changes of permeability-glycoprotein.

IDIOPATHIC EPILEPSY RESULTING IN HIPPOCAMPAL AND PIRIFORM LOBE NECROSIS IN THREE CATS. S Fors1, J Jeserevics2, S Cizinauskas2. Bagarmossen Referral Animal Hospital, Bagarmossen, Sweden, Referral Animal Neurology Hospital Aisti, Vantaa, Finland Necrosis of the hippocampus and piriform lobe in cats has been postulated to be an important dierential diagnosis of seizures and behavior changes. Environmental factors and possibly exogenous excitotoxins have been suggested as the etiology of the necrosis. Necrosis of the hippocampus and piriform lobe have been described in humans and dogs as a sequelae to seizures

THE INCIDENCE OF SYRINGOMYELIA IN CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIELS. J Parker1, P Knowler2, N Jeery1, TJ McKinley1, C Rusbridge2. 1The Queens Veterinary School Hospital, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK, 2Stone Lion Veterinary Centre, Goddard Veterinary Group, London, UK The epidemiology of cervical syringomyelia in a population of 804 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCS) was investigated

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Abstracts to the atlas, causing spinal cord compression. The objectives of this study were: a) to establish the reference of radiographic measurements of AAJ in dogs predisposed to congenital atlantoaxial instability, and b) to compare the radiographic measurements in small breed dogs with and without atlantoaxial instability. Clinically normal dogs with the breed predisposed to congenital atlantoaxial instability were included in group one. Small breed dogs diagnosed with atlantoaxial instability were included in group two. The diagnosis of atlantoaxial instability was based on the signalments, history, clinical signs, neurological examination and radiographic ndings. Radiographs of cervical spine were obtained in neutral, extended and exed lateral projections and ventrodorsal projection. The length of the dens and the axis were measured in the ventrodorsal radiograph. Five measurements of the distance between the atlas and axis in each lateral radiograph were recorded. The measurements included: the distance of atlantoaxial joint (AAD), the horizontal movement (HM), the vertical movement (VM), the distance from the cranial point of the atlas to the cranial point of the axis (Cr- Cr), and the distance from the caudal point of the atlas to the cranial point of the axis (Cd Cr). Kruskal-Wallis test and Exact Wilcoxon test were applied to analyse the data. Twenty-six dogs were included in group one (Yorkshire terrier, n=6; Maltese terrier, n=6; Chihuahua dog, n=7; Pomeranian dog, n=7). Six dogs were included in group two (Yorkshire terrier, n=1, Maltese terrier, n=2, Chihuahua dog, n=2, Pomeranian dog, n=1). In group one, all ve measurements of the distance between the atlas and axis changed significantly between dierent positions (p<0.05). In neutral and exed lateral radiographs, measurement AAD and Cr-Cr in group two were signicantly increased compared to group one (p<0.05). In extended lateral position, measurement Cr-Cr and Cd-Cr in group two were signicantly increased compared to group one (p<0.05). In conclusion, this study established the reference range of the distance between the atlas and the axis in dierent positions in Yorkshire terriers, Maltese terriers, Chihuahua dogs and Pomeranian dogs, and conrmed that their AAJ motility existed. In these breeds, radiographic measurements AAD, Cr-Cr and CdCr were the methods demonstrating signicant dierences between dogs with and without atlantoaxial instability. The information may potentially be useful in developing a more objective radiographic diagnostic method of atlantoaxial instability in dogs predisposed to this condition.

using the results of a voluntary MRI screening programme that is ongoing in the United Kingdom (UK) and the Netherlands. The aim of the study was to establish the incidence of disease and to determine the risk factors for its development. The data was analysed using logistic regression to assess the inuence of certain variables on the likelihood of detecting syringomyelia and to generate a predictive model for the outcome of screening. The lifetime risk of developing syringomyelia in the study population was estimated to be 55%. Of the variables investigated, only the age at which a scan was performed signicantly predicted the outcome of screening and the likelihood of detecting the disease increased with age-at-scan up to the age of four years. The predictive accuracy of the nal model was 62.4% and factors not evaluated by this study are therefore also likely to contribute to the timing of disease manifestation. It is concluded that syringomyelia is likely to be one of the most common disease conditions of the CKCS. The age at which an MRI scan is performed predicts the likelihood of disease detection and a susceptible individual may not express the diagnostic phenotype until the age of four. Performing screening before this time may give a false negative result for the lifetime risk of disease development.

L-2 HYDROXYGLUTARIC ACIDURIA IN A YORKSHIRE TERRIER. D Sanchez1,2, J Mascort1, A Zamora2, R Artuch3, AL Feliu-Pascual1. 1Hospital ARS Veterinaria, Barcelona, Spain, 2 Centre de la Image Veterinaria, Sant Joan Despi, Barcelona, Spain, 3Hospital San Joan de Deu, Barcelona, Spain L-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria (L-2-HGA) represents a recently dened inborn error of metabolism with a variety of clinical neurological decits including seizures, head tremors and ataxia. A 7 month-old, 2-kg, female, Yorkshire Terrier dog was evaluated for generalized tonic-clonic seizures and episodic obtundation starting at 4 months of age. During physical and neurological examination, the dog had a mild ataxia but otherwise was considered normal. The dog underwent a Magnetic Resonance (MR) study of the brain. T1-weighted, T2-weighted and FLAIR sequences were obtained in dierent planes. These revealed bilaterally symetrical, diuse regions of grey matter hyperintensity on T2-weighted and FLAIR images, which were most prominent in the parietal cerebral cortex, thalamus, mesencephalon and cerebellum. A mild ventriculomegaly was also found. Postcontrast T1-weighted sequences showed no contrast enhancement. Routine analysis of cerebrospinal uid (CSF) was considered normal. Based on the imaging ndings, dierential diagnoses included metabolic or toxic encephalopathies. To investigate the possibility of an intrinsic metabolic disorder, urinary organic acid and amino acid proles were quantied by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy and identied > 1000fold increased of L-2-hydroxyglutaric acid consistent with a diagnosis of L-2-HGA. Plasma and CSF levels of L-2-hydroxyglutaric acid were also elevated. One year after presentation, the dog has severe ataxia, hypermetric gait and head tremors but no seizure activity with phenobarbital treatment. To our knowlegde is the rst case described of L-2-HGA in a Yorkshire terrier. Denitive diagnosis can be reached by demostration of elevated levels of L-2-hydroxyglutaric acid in urine, plasma or CSF.

NEUROLOGICAL SIGNS, IMAGING FINDINGS AND TREATMENT OPTIONS OF VENTRAL INTRASPINAL CYSTS IN 6 DOGS. C Flieshardt1, S Kramer1, W Baumgartner2, A Tipold1. Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany Extradural spinal cord compressions due to ventral intraspinal cysts are rare causes of gait abnormalities in dogs. With the advent of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in veterinary medicine a diagnosis of these disc-associated cystic lesions is possible. Medical records of six aected dogs (2006-2010) were evaluated to describe MRI appearance, histopathological ndings and the outcome after surgical treatment (n=5) and conservative therapy (n=1) in this condition. Four of ve surgically treated dogs were presented with a history of acute onset of non-ambulatory, non- or mildly painful tetraparesis, which progressed to tetraplegia with intact deep pain perception in two dogs within 24 hours. In another dog the clinical signs of an ambulatory, mildly painful paraparesis developed subacutely with a sudden deterioration of the neurological status. In these patients MRI was performed using a 1.0 Tesla system (Magnetom Impact Plus, Siemens, Erlangen, Germany), and ndings were consistent with a ventral uid-lled cyst characterized by an extradural, round to ovoid mass lesion with low T1- (SE, TE 12 ms, TR 330 ms) and high T2- (TSE, TE 112 ms, TR 4700 ms) weighted signal intensity adjacent to a degenerated intervertebral disc. Surgical

COMPARISON OF RADIOGRAPHIC MEASUREMENTS OF ATLANTOAXIAL JOINT IN SMALL BREED DOGS WITH AND WITHOUT ATLANTOAXIAL INSTABILITY. HJ Chen1, YP Chang1. 1Graduate Institute of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan Atlantoaxial instability refers to instability of the atlantoaxial joint (AAJ) that leads to dorsal displacement of the axis relative

Abstracts decompression by incision of the cyst wall was performed. All ve dogs regained the ability to walk with no or only mild proprioceptive decits within nine days. Histopathological examination of the cysts content from two dogs revealed degenerated and fragmented chondral tissue with bony metaplasia. The conservatively treated dog was a 6-years-old female neutered Large Swiss mountain dog with the history of an acute onset, non-painful tetraplegia. CT-myelography of the cervical spine revealed a ventral extradural mass lesion adjacent to the C6/7 intervertebral disc; ndings of MRI were consistent with a discal cyst at this area. A surgical treatment was declined, so the dog was discharged with physiotherapy, supportive care and a single administration of glucocorticosteroids. After two weeks the dog was able to walk without assistance, and was presented at our department with a mild generalized ataxia ve months later. MRI re-evaluation showed neither a cystic lesion nor a spinal cord compression, however, a mild intramedullary hyperintensity on T2-weighted images in proximity to the C6/7 intervertebral disc space was detected. In conclusion, ventral intraspinal cysts can produce neurological signs identical to those of intervertebral disc herniations and/ or ischemic myelopathies. Surgical therapy seems to have a good prognosis; conservative treatment seems to be feasible. To our knowledge, this is the rst canine patient described in which MRI detected re-absorption of the uid-lled cyst after conservative therapy.

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of unknown status was risky for SM aectedness. Fifty percent of older ospring were SM aected in A x U parental crosses and there were higher numbers of SM aected dogs with other parental combinations that included one Grade U dog. In conclusion, to increase the number of SM unaected ospring, at least one parent should be ascertained to be free of SM by MRI at 2.5 years of age. Ideally both parents would be free of SM at 2.5 years of age and the true SM status of the grandparents at least 5 years old should be established. It is recommended that all breeding dogs from breeds susceptible to CMSM be MRI screened and results submitted to an ocially recognised central database.

PHENOTYPIC AND GENETIC CHARACTERIZATION OF SPINNING OR TAIL-CHASING IN BULL TERRIERS. C Escriou1, S Renier1, K Tiira2, C Dufaure de Citres3, L Koskinen2, P Arnold4, H Lohi2, A Thomas3. 1Small Animal Medicine Department, National Veterinary School of Lyon, France, 2 Canine Genomics Research Group, University of Helsinki, Fin` land, 3Antagene,Limonest, France, 4The Folkhalsan Institute of Genetics, Toronto, Canada A predisposition to develop spinning (S) and tail chasing (TC) behavior has been observed in Bull Terriers (BT). These stereotypic behaviors are related to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), a behavioral disease usually associated with anxiety and/ or inadequate condition of life, where a normal behavior is performed in an inappropriate, excessive and out-of context manner. In contrast, some authors suspect an unusual form of epilepsy. Although well known from several years a precise characterization of this disorder based on description of a large number of cases has not yet been proposed. In order to clinically characterize the disease, we recruited 44 aected BT (32 standard and 12 miniature) using a web questionnaire. All dogs undergo clinical, neurological and behavioral examination by a specialist and were followed during a 2 years study. We describe a pleomorphic but unique disease were S and TC behaviors coexist in occasional or short bouts or alternatively can last for several hours with total dissociation of the environment. Signs of hallucination and psychotic behavior (freezing, staring, unprovoked aggression, unexplained growling, y catching) were observed in a majority of cases (31 dogs). The disease appears mostly before 7 months (35 dogs), median age is 5 months, with no gender predisposition. We characterize 4 stages of disorder (reecting the severity of the disease) and the evolution of the aected dogs within these stages. 14 dogs were euthanatized due to the severity of the disease. No Biochemical analysis, brain mri, and complete brain histology were performed on a selection of dogs and didnt reveal any anomalies. Treatment using phenobarbital and potassium bromide on 27 dogs allowed to control the disease in 8 dogs or to ameliorate symptoms in 11 dogs. To undergo genetic analyses, two pedigrees (standard and miniature BT) were build and allowed us to propose an autosomal recessive transmission mode. Utilizing blood samples from our french dogs coupled with nnish dogs from an associated similar study, we investigated whether the compulsive anck sucking locus at CFA7 is associated with the spinning, particularly the CDH2 gene, and we performed a genome-wide association study on 48 unrelated Standard Bull Terriers (24 cases and 24 controls) using the Illumina canine 200K SNP arrays. According to our results, CDH2 and its locus is not associated to the spinning. The results of genome-wide association study are not conclusive and didnt allow us to propose candidate(s) gene(s). We conclude that S or TC constitute undoubtedly symptoms of a neurological, pleomorphic and evolutive disease in BT. Complex partial seizures can be suspected due to the response with anticonvulsants but it remains to determine the precise pathogeny of all behavioral symptoms observed. Prolonged post-ictal or peri-ictal psychotic state is possible but coexistence of OCD with seizures in a complex neurological syndrome like autism must be considered.

INTERIM BREEDING GUIDELINES FOR SYRINGOMYELIA 4 YEAR REPORT. SP Knowler1, AK McFadyen2, C Rusbridge1. 1Stone Lion Veterinary Hospital, London, UK., 2 School of Engineering & Computing, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, UK Chiari-like malformation and Syringomyelia (CMSM) is a complex trait with a moderately high heritability (Lewis et al 2010). Genome wide linkage studies in the cavalier King Charles spaniel (CKCS) have recently identied a novel locus for CMSM and a haplotype that infers protection against SM (Quoc et al 2010). In some toy breeds CMSM is prevalent and many breeders ascertain the MRI CMSM status of their dogs prior to breeding. In 2006, CKCS breeders sought guidance on breeding to reduce SM. A recommendation to exclude SM aected dogs from breeding may encourage genetic bottle-necking and fails to take account SM can occur as a late onset disease. Consequently guidelines were proposed that took account of age and also made provision for breeding older asymptomatic SM aected dogs (Grade D) that are free of other known inherited diseases (Cappello et al 2007). The aim of this study was to investigate the early outcome of these guidelines and to identify factors associated with increased risk of SM. Using Microsoft AccessTM databases constructed for use in genome studies, a cohort of 465 dogs (307 females, 158 males) were identied which had either one (316 dogs) or both parents (149 dogs) with MRI conrmed CMSM status. Of these, 393 were CKCS and 72 were Grion Bruxellois. All dogs were assigned an A - F CMSM grade according to the current breeding guidelines. Grade A implies a SM unaected dog over 2.5 years old. In addition, to estimate the inuence of late onset SM, an Grade A* was assigned to Grade A dogs over 5 years old. The CMSM grade of all ospring from all possible breeding combinations including using one parent of unknown status (Grade U) was ascertained. Ospring without SM only occurred when there was at least one parent of Grade A status. There were.higher numbers of SM clear ospring if both parents had A status. In addition all A* ospring also had at least one A* parent and higher numbers of A* ospring resulted from crosses where both parents were A*. There was no inuence of gender on SM aectedness. All ospring were SM aected if both parents were SM aected. SM aected ospring may also occur when SM unaected dogs are used (15.4% from A x A parental crosses and 7.7% from A* x A* parental crosses). Using dogs

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Abstracts upregulation of integrins (CD11a) and metalloproteinases (MMP-2 and -9) contribute to recruitment of neutrophiles into the subarachnoid space, a Th2-mediated immune response to enhanced IgA production in SRMA. Because of their ability to react to infectious agents and to modulate adaptive immunity, TLRs represent good candidates involved in diseases characterized by inappropriate adaptive immune responses, such as SRMA. In order to assess the role of TLRs in the pathogenesis of SRMA, a pattern of intracellular and extracellular TLRs (TLR3, 9, 2, 4, and 5) was investigated using ow cytometry. Leucocytes of peripheral blood (PB) and cerebrospinal uid (CSF) of dogs with acute SRMA and during glucocorticosteroid treatment were examined and compared with PB and CSF leucocytes of dogs suering from other neurological diseases and with PB leucocytes of dogs with systemic suppurative diseases. In dogs suering from acute SRMA, a disease specic upregulation of TLR4 and TLR5, receptors involved in the recognition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), bacterial agellin and molecules exposed during cellular injury and extracellular matrix remodelling, were found to be upregulated in CSF monocytes in comparison to PB monocytes. These ndings did not occur in other inammatory diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), including bacterial meningitis. In conclusion, upregulation of specic TLRs is more likely induced through endogenous molecules than pathogen associated molecular patterns. The role of TLR4 for neutrophil recruitment into CNS was demonstrated in a murine model of systemic inammation. Additionally, a recent study on human large vessels vasculitides pointed out that TLR4 leads to transmural panarteritis and TLR5 ligands promote adventitial perivasculitis. The specic upregulation of TLR4 and 5 in CSF leukocytes can explain the predominant inammation in meninges and meningeal vessels in SRMA and can give hints for the development of new treatment strategies.

DYSTROPHIN-DEFICIENT MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY IN A FRENCH BULLDOG. C de la Fuente1, GD Shelton2, J Mol n1, M Pumarola1, LT Guo2, S Anor1. 1Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Veterinary School, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain, 2Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of CaliforniaSan Diego, La Jolla, California, USA Muscular dystrophies (MD) are a heterogeneous group of inherited, degenerative, mostly non-inammatory disorders characterised by progressive muscle weakness and wasting. The most common form of MD in dogs is caused by dystrophin deciency and is most completely described in Golden Retrievers. Dystrophinopathies have been reported in several other breeds, but not in the French Bulldog. A ve-month old male French Bulldog was evaluated for a 3month history of dysphagia, regurgitation and mild exercise intolerance. Physical examination revealed a poor body condition, delayed growth and presence of a soft-tissue bulging in the submandibular region. Careful inspection of the oral cavity revealed partial trismus, hypertrophy of the pharyngeal muscles and macroglossia. Hypertrophy of the dorsal cervical musculature and generalized atrophy of pelvic limb muscles were also observed. No pain was evident on skeletal muscle palpation. The neurologic examination was unremarkable except for mild exercise intolerance. A primary myopathy was suspected. Markedly elevated CK activity and moderate elevations in ALT and AST concentrations were detected on serum biochemistry. Thoracic radiographs demonstrated diaphragm asymmetry and a hiatal hernia. Abdominal ultrasound showed small thickened areas in the diaphragm. Electromyography revealed complex repetitive discharges in all muscles tested, and nerve conduction velocities were normal in all limbs. A magnetic resonance (MR) study of the head and neck was performed with a 0.2 Tesla MR unit. MR images showed severe enlargement of the lingual and dorsal neck muscles without signal intensity changes. Muscle biopsies from quadriceps, cranial tibial and triceps muscles were collected. Histologically, a dystrophic phenotype characterised by myober size variability, myonecrosis, regeneration and calcic deposits was identied. Unfortunately, and due to sample delivery related problems immunostaining for dystrophin and associated proteins was not conclusive. A dystrophinopathy was suspected and treatment with prednisone (0.5 mg/kg/day) was attempted without improvement. Six weeks after diagnosis, the owners requested euthanasia and allowed necropsy. The histological abnormalities previously observed in the biopsy specimens were again identied in all muscles examined. Immunostaining conrmed dystrophin deciency using antibodies against both the rod domain and carboxy terminal of dystrophin. Robust regeneration was seen using the antibody against developmental myosin heavy chain, and there was increased sarcolemmal staining with the antibody against utrophin. Immunoblotting further conrmed the diagnosis. To the authors knowledge this is the rst report of dystrophin-decient muscular dystrophy in a French Bulldog.

THERMAL AND MECHANICAL THRESHOLD TESTING IN DOGS TREATED WITH LEVOMETHADONE; FENTANYL; ACEPROMAZINE OR SALINE. MV Homann1, SBR Kastner1, S Kramer1. 1Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany Thermal (TT) and mechanical threshold (MT) testing is regularly used to determine the ecacy of analgesic agents which are widely used in veterinary neurology. The purpose of this doubleblinded study was to compare thermal and mechanical nociceptive thresholds between l-agonists analgesia, a sedative and saline on TT and MT obtained by two testing devices adapted for the use in dogs. Six healthy beagle dogs 6 to 8 years of age with a mean body weight of 17.8 kg ( 2.0) were habituated to wearing the TT and MT testing devices. Three baseline readings were taken at 15 minutes intervals. Further readings were made at 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, 240, 270, 300, 330, 360, 420 and 480 minutes after dierent medications. The dogs were treated with levomethadone 0.2mg/kg, fentanyl 0.005mg/kg, acepromazine 0.02mg/kg or saline intramuscularly (IM) with a washout period of at least one week. Saline treatment was repeated four times over a period of 6 months. Baseline data were averaged to give a meanSD baseline value (time 0). Area under the threshold curve (AUC) was calculated for each measuring time and compared with baseline threshold by repeated measures ANOVA to illustrate the signicant duration of impact and Wilcoxon-matchedpairs-tests (sum of AUC) to compare opioid and saline threshold. P<0.05 was considered signicant. After saline and acepromazine treatment TT and MT were stable over the testing periods. After the application of levomethadone TT rose from 40.00.7C to a maximum of 46.02.2C after 45 minutes. There was a signicant rise in TT from 15 to 150 minutes after treatment. The MT rose from 4.00.5 N to a maximum of 13.82.1N after 30 minutes and there was a signicant increase in MT from 15 to 120 minutes after treatment. The application of fentanyl increased TT from 39.71.0C to a

UPREGULATION OF TOLL-LIKE RECEPTOR 4 AND 5 ON CEREBROSPINAL FLUID MONOCYTES IN CANINE STEROID-RESPONSIVE MENINGITIS-ARTERITIS. A Maiolini1,2, R Carlson1, A Tipold1,2. 1Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover, Germany, 2Center for Systems Neuroscience, Hannover, Germany Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a family of pattern recognition receptors, recognizing structurally conserved molecules derived from microbes and endogenous damage-associated molecular patterns. They play a key role in innate immunity and at the same time can powerfully stimulate B cell, T cells and antigen presenting cells. The etiopathogenesis of steroid responsive meningitisarteritis (SRMA), characterized by cervical pain, fever, leucocytosis, neutrophilic pleocytosis and excessive IgA production is still not well known. The suspicion that an infectious agent is priming the immune response could neither be rejected nor proven. An

Abstracts maximum of 44.52.3C after 60 minutes and there was a signicant rise in TT from 15 to 150 minutes after treatment. The MT rose from 4.70.6N to a maximum of 12.94.3N after 45 minutes with a signicant increase in MT from 15 to 90 minutes after treatment. Baseline thresholds of TT and MT were stable over a period of 6 months in all dogs. Acepromazine sedation did not inuence TT or MT. The duration of impact of fentanyl was unexpected long compared to levomethadone.

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COMPARISON OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING FEATURES WITH HISTOPATHOLOGICAL TYPE AND GRADE OF CANINE PRIMARY INTRA-AXIAL BRAIN TUMORS. RT Bentley1, CP Ober2, GE Pluhar2, RA Packer1, A Litster1, DA Feeney2, JR Ohlfest2. 1Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 2University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN The purpose of this study was to perform a preliminary investigation of radiological factors as predictor variables for histopathological type and grade of canine primary intra-axial brain tumors. Canine magnetic resonance images of 24 histopathologically conrmed primary intra-axial brain tumors were assessed by an investigator (RTB) blinded to the histopathology. Using twotailed Spearman-Rank correlation, both histopathological type and grade were compared to tumor location, margins, shape, eect on adjacent brain parenchyma, formation of single cysts or multiple intratumoral uid accumulations (ITFs), T1 and T2 signal intensity and homogeneity, severity and pattern of contrast enhancement, pattern of gradient echo signal voids, brain herniation, leptomeningeal involvement and the severity of mass eect, ventricular distortion, and peri-tumoral edema. Nine oligodendrogliomas, 8 astrocytomas, 4 glioblastomas, 2 primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs) and 1 gliomatosis cerebri were evaluated. Higher histopathological grade was associated with increasing severity of contrast enhancement (p=0.0021) and with formation of cysts or ITFs (p=0.0354). Potentially important relationships included increasing distribution of gradient echo signal voids with increasing tumor grade (p=0.0594), and more severe ventricular distortion with oligodendrogliomas and PNETs (p=0.0965). Contrast enhancement and cystic structure formation may predict grade of malignancy for canine primary intra-axial brain tumors. Following this preliminary use of the radiological scoring system, an improved scoring system will be designed and applied to a larger case series by multiple investigators, focusing on these 2 factors and other promising variables, such as gradient echo signal voids and ventricular distortion.

ined by immunohistochemistry (IHC, n= 12) and Western blot (n= 2). In the brain, strong membranous E-cadherin immunopositivity was observed in choroid plexus epithelial cells and meningothelial cells. The ependyma was negative for E-cadherin. In the brainstem, only very restricted, patchy areas of neuropil stained for E-cadherin including spinal tract nucleus, the area of the solitary tract nucleus, area postrema, and the area of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagal nerve. This immunostaining was faint and linear, following the axonal network. Neuronal cell bodies were negative. None of the other brain structures showed E-cadherin expression. CN and TG exhibited strong E-cadherin expression in Schwann cells and satellite cells, respectively. The labeling was particularly evident at the intercellular boundary of satellite cells and at the Schmidt-Lantermann incisures. Staining patterns and intensity were similar in cattle with and without listeric encephalitis. No increased E-cadherin expression was observed in infected compared to unaected animals. Conrming the IHC results, E-cadherin specic bands of molecular masses of approximately 37 kDa and 120 kD were evident in the WB of the trigeminal ganglion. E-cadherin is expressed in the bovine brain and cranial nerves of both aected and unaected cattle and is not upregulated during listeriosis. Strikingly, the distribution of E-cadherin in bovine cranial nerves, trigeminal ganglion and brainstem overlaps with the location of lesions in LM rhombencephalitis. These results suggest that E-cadherin expressing Schwann cells are a possible initial port of entry for extracellular LM in cattle rhombencephalitis once the bacterium has breached the mucosal barrier through small abrasions. Therefore, E-cadherin might be a determining factor for the particular neuropathological topography of this disease in ruminants. This hypothesis, however, needs to be conrmed by further studies.

THE EFFECT OF PROLONGED STATUS EPILEPTICUS AS A RESULT OF INTOXICATION ON EPILEPTOGENESIS IN A UK CANINE POPULATION. P Jull1, LDe Risio2, C Horton1, HA Volk1. 1The Royal Veterinary College, London, UK, 2 The Animal Health Trust, Newmarket, UK In rodent models of epilepsy spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRS) develop usually after a latency period of one month following a prolonged (>60 min) status epilepticus (SE) induced by either a chemoconvulsant or electrical stimulation. Furthermore, in humans prolonged febrile seizures in childhood have been associated with the development of epilepsy later in life. Interestingly, a previous observational study of dogs with SE showed that none of the 14 dogs, which had SE following intoxication, did develop SRS later in life (Zimmermann et al., 2009). The length of SE was not determined. Prolonged SE is thought to be critical in rodent models to induce epileptogenesis and consequently the development of SRS. The aim of this study was to investigate if prolonged SE secondary to a chemoconvulsant can induce SRS in dogs. Clinical records were searched for dogs that presented in SE secondary to intoxication at two UK referral hospitals. Dogs were only included in the study if there was clear historical or clinicopathological evidence for intoxication and the SE was longer than 30 minutes. Clinical and follow-up information was retrieved and veried by using a combination of clinical records of the two hospitals and of the referring veterinarian and by contacting the owner using a telephone questionnaire. Twenty dogs were identied of which seventeen dogs presented due to metaldehyde toxicity, one for moxidectin toxicity, one for theobromine toxicity, and one for mycotoxin toxicity. The population consisted of 10 male and 10 female dogs with a median age at presentation of 4 years (range: 0.3 - 10 years). Of the twenty dogs three dogs had an SE duration between 0.5 and 1 hr, four dogs between 1 and 12 hrs, ten dogs between 12 and 24 hrs and three dogs greater then 24 hrs. SE treatment varied between dogs; diazepam alone (n=10), midazolam alone (n=1), diazepam and phenobarbital (n=2), diazepam and propofol (n=1), phenobarbital and propofol (n=3), and nally propofol and midazolam (n=3). Four of the twenty dogs were discharged with phenobarbital, which was weaned o after 6, 10, 14 or 180 days. These four dogs had a follow-up period of 1020, 1152, 741 and 1666 days respectively.

E-CADHERIN, A KEY-RECEPTOR INVOLVED IN LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES HOST INVASION, IS EXPRESSED IN BOVINE CRANIAL NERVE SCHWANN CELLS. H Madarame1, T Seuberlich2, M Vandevelde2, A Zurbriggen2, A Oevermann2. 1Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Azabu University, Kanagawa, Japan, 2Neurocenter, Department of Clinical Research and Veterinary Public Health, Vetsuisse Faculty, Bern, Switzerland The interaction of internalin A, a major surface ligand of Listeria monocytogenes (LM), and its host cell-receptor E-cadherin is required for the entry of LM into cells and for the crossing of the intestinal and placental barrier during infection. In ruminants, listeriosis occurs most commonly as rhombencephalitis, specically targeting the brainstem, and it is believed that LM enters the brain via cranial nerves. However, the host cell receptors involved in brain invasion are not known. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of E-cadherin in cattle brain, cranial nerves (CN) and its ganglion (TG), and thus its putative role in brain invasion. To this end, brains, CN and TG of cattle with and without listeric rhombencephalitis were exam-

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Abstracts ty and contrast enhancement of C8-T1 nerves continuing into the brachial plexus bilaterally. CSF analysis revealed increased protein 0.63 g/l (<0.20), and WBCs were within the normal range; with cytological dierentiation revealed only mononuclear cells. RT-PCR on CSF for infectious diseases was negative. A course of Cytarabine and Prednisolone was started, but due to the deterioration the owner elected for euthanasia. A limited post mortem examination of samples from the proximal thoracic vertebral column revealed moderate lymphoplasmacytic neuritis with vasculitis with secondary denervation of epaxial skeletal muscles, supporting the case for brachial plexus neuritis. No history of recent vaccination, evidence of infectious, or have been feed with horse meat or unusual food was present in both cases. This is the rst report describing the MRI ndings in brachial plexus neuritis. Brachial plexus neuritis should be considered as a part of the CNS inammatory diseases of unknow aetiology. Perhaps the condition is not as unusual as the paucity of reported cases would suggest and MRI will greatly facilitate the diagnosis.

Median follow up time for the twenty dogs was 757 days (range: 66-1663 days). No dog had any further seizures after its SE. In contrast to data from rodent studies, none of the dogs with prolonged SE secondary to intoxication developed SRS later in life. This study supports the idea that dogs which have a prolonged SE following intoxication might not need chronic treatment with antiepileptic drugs after the SE has been controlled.

EXERCISE INDUCED NYSTAGMUS IN A DOG. LP Arrol1, R Goncalves1, PM Smith1. 1University of Liverpool, Leahurst, UK A 6 year old neutered male border collie was presented for further investigation of exercise induced disorientation and collapse. On each occasion, the dog appeared unsteady and the owner commented on the presence of ickering eye movements; there were no automonic signs and the dog did not lose consciousness. Each episode of collapse persisted for around 30 seconds and the dog appeared normal within a couple of minutes. A general clinical examination was unremarkable and a neurological examination revealed paresis of the left facial nerve and a slight head tilt to the left; there was no spontaneous nystagmus. After running for ve minutes, the dog was stopped from exercising and spontaneous horizontal nystagmus with the fast phase to the left side was noted for a period of 30-60 seconds. This was repeated on four subsequent runs; on one occasion, the dog became incoordinated and needed to rest before recovering again. Neurological examination after this period of exercise revealed a mild vestibular ataxia but no other decits. An MRI scan of the brain revealed contrast enhancement and thickening of the left facial and vestibulocochlear nerves. A cerebrospinal uid sample was normal and testing for infectious diseases was negative; thyroxine and thyroid stimulating hormone concentrations were normal. The diagnosis was idiopathic facial and vestibulocochlear neuritis; the exercise induced nystagmus was considered due to a hyperexcitability of the left vestibulocochlear nerve compared with the right. The dog was managed with lead only exercise and after a week was able to run without collapse; one month later, the dog was exercising normally, though the blink reex remained impaired on the left side.

INFECTIOUS MENINGOENCEPHALOMYELITIS IN DOGS: META-ANALYSIS OF 417 PUBLISHED CASES 1 1 FROM 1970 TO 2008. LS Duchene , ML Delignette-Muller , C Escriou1. 1Small Animal Medicine Department, National Veterinary School of Lyon, France Although less common than non infectious, dogs infectious meningoencephalomyelitis (IME) could be challenging to diagnose. In order to estimate the prevalence of most frequent IME and to determine if epidemiological datas, clinical or neurological symptoms, or results of biological examinations could be specic or strongly in favor of a disease, we realized a meta-analysis of IME cases published between 1970 and 2008. We identied source publications through a Pubmed central search using key words encephalitis, meningitis, myelitis , meningoencephalitis, meningoencephalomyelitis coupled with dog and the bibliography of the book Infectious disease of the dog and cat, 3rd edition C.E. Greene. Inclusion criterias were: precise clinical data and identication of the infectious agent in the CNS. Infectious agents were classied by family (viral, protozoal, bacterial, fungal or algal) or by disease for the most frequent (Distemper, Toxoplasmosis, Neosporosis). v2 independence test was used for statistical analysis. Viral and protozoal diseases represent respectively 47.7% and 27.6% of cases (Distemper 36.2%, Toxoplasmosis and Neosporosis 22.8%), bacterial disease 16.8%, fungal disease 6.5% and algal disease 1.4%. Distemper was described all around the world but no fungal or algal disease was described in Europe. Neosporosis seems more frequent in Europe (53/65) whereas toxoplasmosis seems more frequent in North America (26/30). Signicant interfamily dierences were observed functions of the age (dogs less than 6 months old displayed more viral or protozoal diseases), evolution of the disease (fungal wer more chronic disease whereas viral were acute). Neurological localization of symptoms was predominantly in the forebrain (57.8%) or spinal cord (54.8%), less common in the brain stem (34.8%) and uncommon in the cerebellum (9.5 %). No inter-family signicant dierences were observed functions of neurological localization except for the forebrain (75.2% of viral cases) and the spinal cord (72.4% and 57.4% of viral and protozoal cases). Among other clinical symptoms, hyperthermia is predominant (69.8%) with no inter-family signicant dierences, leucocytosis is found in only 23.2% of cases but abnormalities of WBC formula is found in 46.7% of cases with signicant inter-family dierences (60.5 % were bacterial cases). CSF was abnormal in only 65% of cases (for viral infection CSF, was normal in 24/42 cases). CNS histology revealed lesions in forebrain in 61.7%, in brainstem in 53.1%, in cerebellum in 44.1%, in spinal cord in 72.3% and meningeal lesions in 47.8% of cases. Signicant inter-family dierences were found for brainstem lesions that were frequent in viral infection (63.7%) and meningeal lesions that were very frequent in bacterial (95.8%) or fungal infection (78.9%) but uncommon in viral disease. Signicant inter-disease dierences were found for forebrain, brainstem, and cerebellar lesions (Neosporosis triggered more frequently lesions in all these part of the CNS whereas Toxoplasmosis lesions were likely restricted in forebrain).

MRI FEATURES OF ONE CONFIRMED AND ONE SUSPECTED CASE OF BRACHIAL PLEXUS NEURITIS IN Palus1, BA TWO DOGS. GB Cherubini1, A Caine1, V Summers2. 1Dick White Referrals, Newmarket, UK, 2The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, UK Brachial plexus neuritis is a very rare inammatory LMN condition of man and almost unknown in the veterinary literature. The two canine cases reported were associated with eating horse meat (published in 1973) and modied-live rabies virus vaccines (published 1974) without further cases reported over the last 25 years. The pathogenesis is poorly understood, but a suspected allergic or immune-mediated response is proposed. A 1-year-old MN Patterdale was referred for investigation of chronic left thoracic limb lameness. The neurological examination was suggestive of C6-T2 myelopathy with brachial plexus involvement. The MRI showed a moderate thickening, STIR hyperintensity and contrast enhancement of the left C8 nerve. The CSF analysis showed protein 0.35 g/l (0-0.20), WBCs 260 /ul (05); cytological dierentiation was consistent with absolute lymphocytic pleocytosis. RT-PCR on CSF and serology on blood for infectious diseases were negative. Immunomodulatory treatment was started with Cytarabine, Prednisolone and Cyclosporine. After an initial improvement, the dogs was euthanased due to deterioration 2 months later. An 11-year-old MN Lhasa Apso was presented for investigation of episodes and collapse and ambulatory diculty. The neurolocalisation was suggestive of C6-T2 myelopathy with brachial plexus involvement. The MRI showed marked, symmetrical thickening with STIR hyperintensi-

Abstracts We conclude that combination of localization of lesions within the CNS with epidemiological and biological data could be helpful to propose accurate hypothesis and thus appropriate etiological research when IME is suspected.

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GLIOMATOSIS CEREBRI IN A FAMILY OF BEARDED COLLIES. D Henke1, D Gorgas2, M Vandevelde1, J Lang2, F Steen3, D York4, PJ Dickinson4, T Leeb5, L Alves1, A Oevermann6. 1Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Divisions of Clinical Neurology, 2Clinical Radiology, 5Institute of Genetics, 6 Department of Clinical Research and Veterinary Public Health; University of Bern; , 3Department of Clinical Neurology, University of Zurich, Switzerland, , 4Department of Surgical and Radio logical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, USA According to the human WHO classication gliomatosis cerebri (GC) is a rare astrocytic tumor aecting at least three lobes of the brain with extensive inltration, but relative preservation of brain architecture. GC has not been reported to occur as a hereditary disease, neither in man nor in animals. Here, we report the temporally clustered occurrence of GC in a family of Bearded collies. A 7 years old female Bearded collie with forebrain signs was presented. Dierentials included inammatory/ infectious, metabolic/ toxic, and neoplastic diseases. Within a time period of 12 months, 3 ospring of this bitch were presented with similar clinical signs. Two dogs were full siblings (2 males). The remaining female dog originated from a match with a dierent male dog. MRI was performed in all 4 dogs and revealed a diuse and extensive intra-axial lesion with moderate mass eect and midline shift. The ill dened lesion showed mainly a white matter distribution with hyperintense signal in T2-w and FLAIR images and iso- to hypointense signal in T1-w images without contrast enhancement. The lesion was bilateral in all cases, continued along the white matter extending partially into the gray matter with contact to the brain surface. Neuropathology revealed a diuse and extensive inltration of the brain and spinal cord by a neoplastic glial cell population involving white and gray matter of both hemispheres, thalamus, brainstem and cerebellum in all 4 dogs. Based on the cell morphology and immunoexpression of glial brillary astrocytic protein by neoplastic cells diagnosis of GC was made. This is the rst report of familial occurrence of GC, which is likely the result of a germ-line mutation. Several human hereditary cancer syndromes are associated with CNS tumors including amongst others the Li-Fraumeni cancer family syndrome (p53 mutation), neurobromatosis (type 1 and 2) (neurobromin, merlin mutation), and tuberous sclerosis (hamartin, tuberin mutation). Furthermore, familial clustering of human gliomas unassociated to the known inherited cancer syndromes has been described. In the dog, hereditary CNS tumors are not known. The exact mode of inheritance and putative gene mutations of GC in this Bearded collie family are currently under investigation. Preliminary results are consistent with a monogenic autosomal dominant mode of inheritance, although a recessive inheritance cannot be completely ruled out at this time. Mutations in the TP53 gene were not found following amplication and sequencing of exons 5-8 in 2 aected dogs.

ritumoral edema, shape and tumor size are also known risk factors for humans. However, risk factors for postoperative outcomes in veterinary medicine have not been identied. The present study aimed to identify radiological parameters that predict likely risk factors associated with postoperative outcomes in dogs with tumors of the anterior cranial fossa. Tumors of the anterior cranial fossa were surgically resected in 12 dogs (age range, 714 years; male, n = 4; female, n = 8) with seizures (n = 8), seizures and depression (n = 3) and circling and visual disorders (n = 1). Benign meningioma was the cause of the symptoms in seven dogs and the remainder (n = 1 each) had histiocytic tumor, anaplastic tumor meningioma, malignant oligodendroglioma and an unknown type. Seven dogs did not exhibit abnormal signs after surgery (normal group), whereas ve appeared to deteriorate (abnormal group). One dog in the abnormal group died during surgery, three developed frontal lobe signs such as wandering, head-pressing and excitement, and one developed stupor and died. Of the three dogs with frontal lobe signs, two improved and one died without improvement. Preoperative MRI (1.5-T ExcelArt Toshiba, 0.4-T Inspire Hitachi) ndings on contrast T1- and T2-weighted transverse images were analyzed. The volumes of edema and of tumors were measured using a workstation (Virtual Place, AZE, Tokyo, Japan) and then the edema index (edema volume + tumor volume) / tumor volume) and tumor index (tumor volume + brain volume) / brain volume) were calculated. We also investigated the tumor surface, enhanced ndings and the presence of cysts using MRI. The EI and TI values (means SD) in the normal group were 1.63 0.654 (mean range, 2.971.04) and 0.091 0.061 (range, 0.030.2), respectively, whereas those in the abnormal group were 2.12 1.54 (range, 1.004.72) and 0.076 0.053 (range, 0.02 0.16), respectively. Three dogs with frontal signs in the abnormal group had tumors with cysts. The EI of the dog that died during surgery was 0.16. Values for EI and TI did not signicantly dier between the normal and abnormal groups (P < 0.05), whereas the EI for benign meningioma and other tumors were 1.21 0.107 and 2.53 1.31, respectively, which were signicantly different (P < 0.05). Our ndings suggested that neither the degree of edema nor tumor size is associated with postoperative neurological deterioration. Dogs exhibiting postoperative signs of excitement, circling and head-pressing had cystic tumors, indicating that the presence of cysts is a risk factor associated with an unfavorable postoperative course. However, further investigation of a larger study cohort is required to substantiate these ndings.

ABSOLUTE METABOLITE CONCENTRATIONS IN THE CEREBRUM AND THE CEREBELLUM OF HEALTHY ADULT DOGS MEASURED USING MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY. K Ono1, M Kitagawa1, D Ito1, N Tanaka1, Y Yamaya1, S Ohba1, T Sano1, T Watari1. 1School of Veterinary Medicine, Nihon University, Kanagawa, Japan Hydrogen proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) can noninvasively evaluate tissue metabolism. This technique is useful to detect early cerebral infarction, as well as degenerative and metabolic diseases of the brain in humans, and to dierentiate inammation or tumors in the central nervous system. However, only a few veterinary studies have quantied detectable metabolites in the cerebrum using MRS. The present study uses MRS to investigate whether the absolute concentration of metabolites differs between the cerebrum and the cerebellum of ve healthy adult beagle dogs. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed to 5 healthy adult beagle dogs under general anesthesia. Image sequences consisted of sagittal, transverse and dorsal T1- and T2- weighted images were obtained for MRS scanning. Single-voxel MRS was used at both in the cerebrum (frontal lobe) and the cerebellum. We measured the concentration of N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), choline (Cho), creatine (Cr) and lactate (Lac), and calculated the ratios of NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr and Lac/Cr in the two regions. The values and ratios of the metabolites in the frontal lobe and cerebellum were respectively: NAA, 62.43 7.51 and 98.65 7.69; Cho, 69.13 5.73 and 84.11 17.15; Cr, 36.74 8.44 and

PREOPERATIVE MRI FINDINGS AS PREDICTORS OF POST-OPERATIVE NEUROLOGICAL DETERIORATION IN DOGS WITH TUMORS OF THE ANTERIOR CRANIAL FOSSA. M Kitagawa1, D Ito1, M Okada1, K Ono1, H Yamada1, N Tanaka1, S Ota1, T Watari1, S Tanaka1. 1Nihon University School of Veterinary Medicine, Kanaagawa, Japan Risk factors associated with postoperative outcomes in humans including age, neurological signs and type of tumor have been investigated in detail. Radiological parameters, such as pe-

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Abstracts breeds at the extreme end of the spectrum of skull conformation phenotypes.

71.37 6.92; Lac, 1.8 2.48 and 0 0; NAA/Cr, 1.82 0.59 and 1.4 0.19; Cho/Cr, 2.07 0.85 and 1.18 0.21, and Lac/Cr, 0.05 0.07 and 0 0. The t-test showed that the two regions did not signicantly dier with respect to the values and ratios of the four metabolites (NAA, p = 0.24; Cho, p = 0.11). Here we showed that metabolite (NAA, Cho, Cr and Lac) concentrations could be generated from two regions of the dog brain using single-voxel MRS. Human studies have shown that the NAA value is the highest both in the cortex of the frontal lobe and in the cerebellum, whereas we found here that Cho was the highest in the frontal lobe of dogs. This dierence might be caused by the dierent sizes of the human and dog cerebra. Human studies have indicated that if the voxels are set between the gray and white matter of the cerebrum, then the concentration of Cho would become the highest. The voxels are too big to set within the cortex of the frontal lobe of dogs in this present study and thus might have caused the dierence. Although further study is required, we established the normal range of metabolites in the cerebrum and cerebellum of healthy adult dogs using MRS.

POSTER SESSION II

SURGICAL TREATMENT OF DISK ASSOCIATED CERVICAL SPONDYLOMYELOPATHY BY A DISTRACTABLE VERTEBRAL TITANIUM CAGE. S De Decker1,2, J Caemaert3, M Tshamala1, I Gielen1, Hvan Bree1, T Bosmans1, K Chiers1, LVan Ham1. 1Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium, 2The Royal Veterinary College, London, UK, 3Faculty of Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium Many surgical techniques have been developed for the treatment of disk associated cervical spondylomyelopathy (DA-CSM) in dogs. The goals of this study were to describe the technical considerations, complications, imaging -and clinical follow-up data of surgical treatment of DA-CSM by a distractible vertebral titanium cage. Seven dogs were prospectively investigated. Diagnosis was made by MRI in all dogs. The surgical procedure was performed by a standard ventral approach. The intervertebral disks of C5C6 and C6-C7 were completely excised. The median part of the vertebral body of C6 was removed by a pneumatic drill. The lateral walls and dorsal cortex of the vertebral body were preserved. The removed bone was collected and preserved to act as an autogenous cancellous bone graft. The implant was placed in the bony defect of C6. After placement, the titanium cage was distracted by a mechanism inherent to the implant. Subsequent, the implant was xed by 2 screws in C5 and 2 screws in C7. In 4 dogs, self-expandable monocortical screws were used. In 3 dogs, cancellous bone screws were placed monocortically. Finally, the cage was lled and covered with the bone graft to promote bony fusion. Wound closure was routine. Postoperative radiographs were taken in all dogs. Post surgically the dogs received cage rest and a splint during 6 weeks. Dogs had follow-up examinations 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 months postoperatively and an additional telephone interview at the end of the study. Six months after surgery, cervical radiographs and computed tomography (CT) were performed to evaluate implant position and fusion. Postoperative MRI was performed in 2 dogs to evaluate MRI compatibility of the titanium implant. Although no intraoperative complications occurred, correct placement of the cage was technically challenging. Revision surgery was necessary in two dogs because of implant loosening and aggravation of preexisting vertebral tilting. All dogs improved postoperatively. In one dog, recurrence of clinical signs was seen 4 months postoperatively. This was caused by articular facet proliferation at an adjacent intervertebral disk space. Radiographs six months postoperatively demonstrated cage subsidence in 4 dogs. In all dogs, CT was suggestive for fusion of the bone graft with the vertebral body. Bony fusion was conrmed histopathologically in one dog. Postoperative MRI demonstrated conicting results considering MRI compatibility. This surgical technique allows a combination of direct decompression and distraction-stabilization with bony fusion at two adjacent intervertebral disc spaces. Although results are promising, technical adaptations are suggested to make this specic surgical technique, designed for humans, suitable for use in canine patients.

THE EFFECT OF SKULL CONFORMATION (BRACHYCEPHALIC, MESATICEPHALIC AND DOLICHCEPHALIC) ON OLFACTORY BULB POSITION IN THE DOG. AK Hussein1, M Sullivan1, J Penderis1. 1School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, UK The emphasis on selection by dog breeders for specic physical characteristics has, in some dog breeds, unfortunately resulted in over-expression of certain undesirable phenotypes. One such situation is the extreme brachycephalic skull conformation, with secondary conformational changes aecting the airways, eyes and central nervous system (CNS). However, objective determination of degree of brachycephalia and therefore informed selection of suitable breeding animals is dicult. Subjectively, one CNS feature that varies with skull conformation, and which can be determined both radiographically and by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the position of the olfactory bulb. The study aims were therefore to determine the eect of brachycephalic, mesaticephalic and dolichocephalic skull conformation on olfactory bulb angulation and position in order to examine whether olfactory bulb rotation correlates with degree of brachycephalia. Forty-four dogs, representing a spectrum of skull conformations, that were having MRI studies of the brain and skull performed and which did not have underlying disease aecting either olfactory bulb or skull conformation were included in this study. The MRI study included the entire head, from the nasal planum rostrally to the intercondylar notch of the foramen magnum caudally. For all dogs the skull conformation index was calculated using historical formulae published by both Stockard and Evans respectively. Olfactory lobe position and orientation relative to the rest of the CNS was calculated on sagittal T2weighted MR images by two separate methods. First, the angle between the olfactory bulb ssure (the groove separating the olfactory bulb from the rest of the brain) and the basal line of the braincase (representing a line connecting the oral aspect of the hard palate rostrally and the intercondylar notch caudally) was determined. Secondly, the olfactory bulb was divided into four quadrants. A line was then drawn perpendicular to the basal line of the braincase to contact the rostral most aspect of the frontal squama. Dogs were then classied into one of four groups based on which olfactory bulb quadrant touched this line. Statistical analysis was performed using regression analysis. The results demonstrated signicant association between olfactory bulb angulation and both Stockard and Evans indices when skull conformations across a variety of breeds were compared, with signicantly more ventral orientation of the olfactory bulb in dogs with more extreme brachycephalic skull conformation. The orientation and angulation of the olfactory bulb varies signicantly with skull conformation, with more ventral orientation relative to the rest of the CNS occurring in brachycephalic breeds, and this may be useful for selection of appropriate breeding animals in order to reduce the degree of brachycephalia in

BRAIN ABSCESS IN 6 CATS DUE TO A BITE WOUND: MRI FINDINGS, SURGICAL MANAGEMENT AND OUTCOME. C Costanzo1, LS Garosi2, EN Glass3, C Rusbridge4, CE Stalin4, HA Volk5. 1Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy, 2Davies Veterinary Specialists, Higham Gobion, Herts, UK, 3Red Bank Veterinary Hospital, Tinton Falls, New Jersey, USA, 4Stone Lion Veterinary Hospital, London, UK, 5Department of Veterinary Clinical

Abstracts Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, UK The present report describes 6 cats with a brain abscess secondary to a bite injury diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and managed by a combination of medical and surgical treatment at multiple institutions, both in Europe and the United States. Six adult cats with an age range of 3 to 13 years were presented with a progressive history of neurological signs ranging from 1 to 6 days before presentation. All cats had regular contact with other cats. In all cases a focal skin puncture or subcutaneous swelling over the calvarium was detected on physical examination. Neurological examination was consistent with a right prosencephalic lesion in 4 cats, a left prosencephalic lesion in 1 cat and multifocal prosencephalic and brainstem lesion in the remaining cat. In all 6 cats, MRI revealed an intra-axial mass lesion causing a severe mass eect on the adjacent brain parenchyma with falcine, caudal subtentorial and foramen magnum herniation, as well as severe perilesional white matter oedema. The mass lesions were hyperintense on T2WI, hypointense or mixed hypo to isointense on T1WI, and had ring enhancement after gadolinium administration. In all cats a defect in the calvarium with associated bone fragments displaced ventrally was identied between the brain abscess and the subcutaneous tissue swelling detected on physical examination. All cats were managed by a combination of medical treatment consisting of broad spectrum antibiotics and surgical treatment consisting of a rostrotentorial craniectomy, removal of the content of the abscess and extensive ushing of the surgical site before closing. At surgery a small penetrating fracture was detected in all cats and a tooth fragment was found within the content of the abscess in 2 cats. Swabs and uid content of the abscess taken during surgery were submitted for aerobic and anaerobic bacterial culture in 4 cats. Results were positive in 3 cats in which Pasteurella multocida, E.coli and Corynebacterium spp were respectively isolated. Two cats that required ventilatory support upon induction of anaesthesia failed to regain consciousness and respiratory drive following surgery and were euthanized at the owners request. In addition to surgical intervention, intensive care and IV antimicrobials led to return to normal neurological examination in the 4 remaining cats. This case series indicates that successful surgical followed by medical management of brain abscesses due to bite injuries in cats is possible.

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between groups and Spearmans rank used to test association between the CSF composition and syrinx size. The Fishers exact test was used to compare the presence of activated macrophages, reactive lymphocytes and myelin between groups and sample sites. A p value of  0.05 was considered signicant for all statistical tests. CKCS with CM/SM compared to CKCS with CM alone had a higher TNCC (CM/SM: 4/mm3 [0-15/mm3] vs. CM: 2/mm3 [08/mm3]; p=0.0047), an increase in CSF protein concentration (g/ l) (CM/SM: 0.26g/l [0.07-0.42g/l] vs. CM: 0.2g/l [0.12-0.39g/l]; p=0.039), and a higher neutrophil percentage (CM/SM: 0% [037%] vs. CM: 0% [0-21%]; p=0.0203). There was a positive correlation between TNCC and syrinx size (r=0.51; p=0.0068). Myelin was detected in a greater number of lumbar 4/7 (57%) than cisternal samples 3/25 (12%) (p=0.0203). There were no further dierences between groups or sample sites. Abnormalities in CSF composition are more prevalent in CKCS with CM/SM than those with CM alone. Recent studies allude to possible origins of these CSF changes, however since the pathogenesis of development and progression of SM remains unclear the cause of altered CSF composition in these dogs remains unknown.

EVOLUTION OF CLINICAL SIGNS AND PREDICTORS OF OUTCOME AFTER CONSERVATIVE TREATMENT OF DISK ASSOCIATED CERVICAL SPONDYLOMYELOPATHY IN DOGS. S De Decker1,2, I Gielen1, L Duchateau1, IVan Soens1, A Oevermann3, I Polis1, Hvan Bree1, LVan Ham1. 1Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium, 2The Royal Veterinary College, London, UK, 3Vetsuisse Faculty Bern, Bern University, Switzerland There are currently no prospective data about the conservative management of disk associated cervical spondylomyelopathy (DA-CSM) in dogs. The goals of this study were to evaluate the evolution of clinical signs, their correlation with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and to assess potential prognostic parameters after conservative treatment for this disease. Twenty-one dogs were prospectively investigated. After neurological evaluation, neurological status was graded from 0 (= normal) to 6 (= tetraplegia). All animals underwent low-eld MRI and TMS with measurement of onset latencies and peak-to-peak amplitudes from the extensor carpi radialis and cranial tibial muscles. From the MR images, the following dimensions were calculated: remaining spinal cord area; compression ratio; vertebral occupying ratio of the spinal cord; canal height to body height ratio (CBR); canal height to body length ratio (CBLR); and the canal compromise ratio. Intraparenchymal intensity (ISI) changes were graded from 0 to 3. All dogs were re-evaluated by the same person after 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. Eight of 21 dogs (38%) experienced a positive clinical evolution with improvement or stabilization of mild clinical signs. All dogs with a negative clinical evolution 1 month after diagnosis had an unsuccessful outcome. The opposite was true for all dogs with a positive clinical evolution after 1 month. Outcome was further signicantly associated by the remaining spinal cord area and the vertebral canal compromise ratio. Survival time from moment of diagnosis was signicantly inuenced by the vertebral canal compromise ratio. Prognosis was not signicantly aected by clinical presentation or TMS. There were no signicant correlations between clinical presentation, MRI and TMS. Three dogs with a negative clinical evolution underwent a new MRI study. These studies demonstrated progression of most measured MRI parameters. Two of these 3 dogs underwent necropsy and histopathological examination. This revealed in both cases chronic Wallerian degeneration and myelomalacia. The results of this study suggest that conservative treatment of DA-CSM is associated with a guarded prognosis. Selected MRI parameters and clinical evolution 1 month after diagnosis can be used as prognostic predictors. The lack of correlation between clinical presentation and outcome, medical imaging and electrophysiological evaluation is disturbing and warrants further investigation.

DIFFERENCES IN CEREBROSPINAL FLUID ANALYSIS IN CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIELS WITH CHIARILIKE MALFORMATION WITH OR WITHOUT SYRINGOMYELIA. DE Whittaker1, K English2, IM McGonnell3, HA Volk1. 1Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, UK, 2 Department of Pathology and Infectious Disease, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, UK, 3 Department of Basic Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, UK We describe the cerebrospinal uid (CSF) analysis of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCS) with Chiari-like malformation (CM) with or without concurrent syringomyelia (SM). The primary aim was to determine if the development of SM is accompanied by alterations in CSF ndings. Dierences could have implications for the clinical management of CKCS with CM and CM/SM. Patient medical records of CKCS diagnosed with CM and CM/SM that had magnetic resonance imaging and cerebrospinal uid (CSF) analysis between December 2004 and December 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. Total nucleated cell count (TNCC) per mm3, with dierential count, red blood cell count per mm3, and protein concentration (g/l), were recorded. Statistical comparisons were made between CKCS with CM and CM/SM and between cisternal and lumbar sampling sites. The data was not normally distributed and the data is shown as median with range. The Mann Whitney U-test was used for statistical comparisons

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Abstracts ing the study were excluded retrospectively. Sixty-three client owned dogs (aged 6.6 2.4 years and weighing 9.6 3.4 kg) were analysed. Statistics included 2 way ANOVA for repeated measurements for parametric data as well as Wilcoxon and Friedmann test for non-parametric data. Alpha was set at 5%. Gabapentin as add-on medication (10 mg kg-1 orally, BID) did not result in statistically signicant less pain behaviour in dogs compared to opioid background analgesia alone. However, a tendency (p < 0.1) towards lower pain scores was apparent. Furthermore cortisol levels tended (p < 0.1) to be lower in the group GBP on days 1 and 3. Side eects were minor in the dogs. In the majority minimum serum concentrations of GBP were above detection limit of 1 g ml-1. There was no dierence in CMPS-SF in dogs with GBP serum concentrations above or below 3 g ml-1. Further investigations are needed to elucidate whether higher doses and shorter interdose intervals of GBP could further increase the analgesic eect of GBP in dogs.

PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING FINDINGS IN DOGS WITH CERVICAL INTERVERTEBRAL DISK DISEASE. EM Ensinger1, C Flieshardt2, TM Boekho1, M Fork1, S Kramer1, A Tipold1. 1Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany, 2LESIA Zentrum fur Tiermedi zin, Dusseldorf, Germany Cervical intervertebral disk disease is a common cause for pain accompanied by various neurological signs in dogs. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) became an important tool in the diagnostic work-up of spinal cord injuries in veterinary medicine. To determine the prognostic value of this imaging technique, a homogenous population of 34 dogs  20 kg body weight with cervical intervertebral disk disease was evaluated retrospectively in respect to their MRI and clinical-neurological ndings. Small breed dogs were chosen to reduce the prognostic inuence of the body weight. Information concerning signalment (breed, weight, sex, age at presentation), duration of clinical signs, pre-treatment with glucocorticosteroids, neurological score pre and post-surgery and follow-up were collected from the medical records. Blinded evaluation of MRI was performed in respect to intramedullary hyperintensity in the T2-weighted (T2-w) images and spinal cord compression level. A longer duration of clinical signs at presentation was signicantly associated with a lower neurological score. Furthermore, dogs with shorter duration of neurological signs at presentation showed a statistically signicant faster improvement of the neurological score in one grade than dogs showing neurological signs for a longer duration. Tendentially, in dogs with a higher neurological score at presentation an intramedullary hyperintensity in the T2-w TSE-sequences was observed more frequently compared to dogs with a lower neurological score. Additionally, dogs with a rapid improvement in their neurological score after surgery showed less frequently a hyperintensity in the T2-w TSEsequences, compared to other dogs. No inuence on the MRI ndings was seen regarding pre-treatment with glucocorticosteroids. In conclusion, the interval to successful short term outcome was signicantly extended with a longer duration of clinical signs. Appearance and dimension of MRI ndings of the myelon are considered to be of prognostic value.

POSTTRAUMATIC EPILEPSY IN DOGS AND CATS. S Steinmetz1, C Brauer1, K Rohn2, W Loscher3, A Tipold1. 1 Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany, 2Department for Biometry, Epidemiology and Information Processing, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany, 3Institute of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany In human medicine head trauma is one of the most common causes for development of symptomatic epilepsy. In veterinary medicine the risk of developing posttraumatic epilepsy is not known. The purpose of the current study was to investigate, if dogs and cats with head trauma have an increased risk of developing epileptic seizures compared to animals without any trauma history. 384 dogs and 553 cats suering a trauma and 620 dogs and 87 cats suering from spontaneous recurrent seizures referred to our clinic were included in this study. Patients records were evaluated retrospectively. In addition, two types of questionnaires were developed (one for seizure-patients and one for traumapatients) in order to collect additional data about seizure onset, seizure frequency, seizure type and duration, occurrence of cluster seizures or status epilepticus, seizure cause, remission of epilepsy, diagnostic test results, medical treatment, other diseases, trauma history, trauma type, trauma- induced diseases, interval between trauma and seizure onset, age at death, and cause of death. Two groups out of seizure-patients were composed: idiopathic/cryptogenic epilepsy and symptomatic epilepsy. Furthermore, the symptomatic epilepsy-group was divided into dogs in which a trauma was the only cause for seizure development, and animals with other intracranial diseases. Animals with traumata were divided into a group with head trauma and another group with trauma without external head damage. Dogs suering from idiopathic/cryptogenic epilepsy had trauma history more frequently (p=0.0004) than dogs suering from symptomatic epilepsy without head trauma. In addition, no signicant dierences in trauma history (p=0.7365) were found when comparing dogs with idiopathic/cryptogenic epilepsy and dogs with symptomatic epilepsy including dogs with proven head trauma. In conclusion, a substantial part of dogs originally diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy most probably suered from posttraumatic epilepsy. In cats similar ndings occurred. On the other hand dogs and cats with a head trauma had a signicant higher incidence in developing seizures than trauma-patients without external head damage (dogs p<0.0001; cats p=0.0024). Dogs with head trauma had an eleven fold higher risk to develop seizures, cats with head trauma an almost twelve fold higher risk to suer from seizures. These data demonstrate that head trauma is a signicant risk for inducing epilepsy in dogs and cats. About one third of animals with proven head trauma developed recurrent seizures later in their life. The results support the usefulness of developing new treatment modalities inuencing the epileptogenesis after traumatic insults.

EFFECTS OF GABAPENTIN AS ADD-ON MEDICATION ON PAIN AFTER INTERVERTEBRAL DISC SURGERY IN DOGS. SA Aghighi1, A Tipold2, M Piechotta3, P Lewczuk4, SBR Kastner1, A Tipold1. 1Division Anaesthesia, Small Animal Clinic, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Germany, 2Division Neurology, Small Animal Clinic, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Germany, 3Clinic for Bovine Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Germany, 4Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Erlangen, Germany Pain after intervertebral disc surgery is considered a mixed type of nociceptive and neuropathic pain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the analgesic eect of perioperative gabapentin (GBP) as add-on treatment to -opioid based background analgesia on neuropathic pain in dogs undergoing thoracolumbar intervertebral disc surgery. In a randomized controlled prospective clinical trial seventy client owned dogs undergoing hemilaminectomy were allocated to either receive GBP 10 mg kg-1 p.o. or placebo (P) p.o. before induction of anaesthesia followed by BID treatment over 5 days. Background analgesia consisted of levomethadone at 0.6 mg kg i.v. at induction of anaesthesia and 0.2 mg kg i.v. twice until expected onset of eect of transdermal fentanyl (fentanyl-patch). The eect of GBP as add-on medication was evaluated by means of the short form of the Glasgow Composite Measures Pain Scale (CMPS-SF) with exclusion of the category gait, Visual Analogue Scale and cortisol levels. Furthermore minimum serum GBP concentrations between two treatments were measured. Dogs which were pre-treated with antiepileptics or pain medication except non-steroidal anti-inammatory drugs or corticosteroids were excluded. In addition, dogs which underwent a re-operation dur-

Abstracts PROGRESSION OF OTITIS MEDIA WITH EFFUSION IN THE CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIEL. S J McGuinness1, E J Friend1, P Knowler2, N D Jeery3, C Rusbridge2. 1 Small Animal Hospital, Langford, Bristol, UK, 2Stone Lion Veterinary Hospital, London, UK, 3University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK Hyperintense material is often detected within the tympanic bullae on T2 weighted MRI scans during screening schemes for Chiari-like malformation and syringomyelia (CMSM). This is frequently an incidental nding, with the only associated clinical sign being hearing loss, and may be analogous to otitis media with eusion (OME) in humans, which is frequently referred to as glue ear. There is an increased risk of OME in humans with certain craniofacial abnormalities, which contribute to auditory tube dysfunction, and this has been speculated to be similar in dogs. Laterally hypertrophic adenoids have also been shown to be a contributing factor to OME in humans, more recently it has been shown that the incidence of OME in dogs is signicantly associated with brachycephalic conformation, and that bilateral OME was associated with Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCS) with more extreme nasopharyngeal conformation than unaected CKCS. This study aimed to determine if OME once present ever resolved without treatment, and also if OME in CKCS was a progressive condition. MRI scans from two centres (Stone Lion Veterinary Hospital and University of Cambridge) were reviewed, and CKCS having 2 scans as part of the CMSM screening scheme were identied. These scans were then interpreted by the same author (S J McGuinness) and classied according to negative, unilateral or bilateral OME based on the absence or presence of hyperintense material on T2 weighted MRI images. A total of 34 dogs had 2 MRI scans a median of 20 months apart (range 1 to 46); the incidence of OME at the rst MRI was 32%, which increased to 50% at the time of the second MRI, which is comparable with previous studies. At the time of the rst MRI, 23 CKCS had no eusion, 10 had unilateral eusion and 1 had bilateral eusion. By the second MRI, 3 cases had progressed from unilateral to bilateral; 5 had progressed from no eusion to eusion being present (4 negative to unilateral, 1 negative to bilateral) and 8 of those having eusion at the rst scan remained the same. No cases that had OME at the rst MRI had resolved at the time of the second MRI and no case had clinical signs that could be associated with OME. This study demonstrates that OME is a progressive condition in the CKCS and can progress from absent to unilateral or bilateral; or from unilateral to bilateral on sequential scans. It also suggests that OME is an acquired condition in the CKCS and will not resolve spontaneously once it has developed.

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a second questionnaire to evaluate how frequently their dogs displayed clinical signs which have been associated with SM such as phantom scratching behaviour, facial rubbing, unexplained vocalisation, hypersensitivity to touch, reluctance to head position change, signs of ataxia and reluctance to or pain when defaecating. The owners were also asked to score their dogs quality of life. The severity of CM/SM clinical signs were compared to the behaviour scores and owner perceived quality of life. Sixty-eight CKCS with CM/SM were included in the data analysis. The median age was 64 months (range: 7-149 months). A signicant positive association was found between stranger directed aggression and clinical SM severity score (spearman r=0.274, P=0.023), stranger directed fear (spearman r= 0.274, P=0.023), non-social fear (spearman r=0.288, P=0.017), separation related behaviour (spearman r=0.436, p=0.0002) and attachment behaviour (spearman r=0.288, P=0.017). Sixteen percent of owners scored their dogs quality of life as could not be better, 49.3 % were good, 19.4 % were fairly good, 3% was neither good nor bad, 10.4 % was fairly poor and 3% was poor. A signicant positive association was found between severity of SM clinical signs and decreased quality of life score (spearman r=0.519, P=0.000007). In this study certain fear and aggression related behaviour traits were positive associated with clinical severity of SM. Furthermore, a highly signicant positive association was found between increasing clinical severity of SM and a decrease in owner perceived quality of life of their dog. In future this type of questionnaire could be used to help assess management of SM.

MENINGOENCEPHALITIS IN A BLONDE AQUITAINE BULL CAUSED BY LISTERIA INNOCUA. PRD Rocha1, A Dalmasso1, C Grattarola2, B Iulini2, C Casalone2, MT Bottero1, MT Capucchio1. 1Department of Animal Pathology, University of Turin, Italy, 2Istituto Zooprolattico Sperimentale di Torino, Turin, Italy Of the Listeria species, only L. monocytogenes is considered to be a signicant human and animal pathogen, causing a variety of infections, including septicemia, abortion and meningoencephalitis, mainly in humans and ruminants. Widespread in the environment and in food, L.innocua is generally considered to be a nonpathogenic bacterium. However, it has been determined as the death cause in a septicemic human case (2) and in a ewe suering of meningoencephalitis (3). This report describes a naturally occurring case of meningoencephalitis due to Listeria innocua in an 18 month old Blonde Aquitaine bull. The animal was one of a housed group of four animals, fed on wrapped baled silage. All animals exhibited only minimal clinical signs detected before the slaughtering, characterised by weakness and recumbency. Only one case was submitted to the neuropathological examination. No macroscopical lesions were observed in the others organs. L. innocua was isolated from brain tissue (pons) and subsequently the identity was conrmed by conventional biochemical tests with a miniaturised system. When DNA was challenged in minisequencing assay (1), it gave rise to a pattern specic for Listeria innocua. Histological examination demonstrated acute lesions characterised by multifocal microabscesses, edema, perivascular cung and sometimes haemorrhages and vasculitis. The intensity and distribution of the microabscesses were considered moderate to severe, arising from the cervical intumescence to the basal nuclei/frontal cortex area. Immunohistochemistry for Listeria sp. allowed to identify the bacteria in the brain microabscesses, mainly in the cerebellum and mesencephalon. These results demonstrate that L. innocua could centripetally migrate in the axons through nerve roots, as well as Listeria monocytogenes infection normally does in both humans and ruminants. To the best of the authors knowledge, this is the rst description of fatal Listeria innocua meningoencephalitis in a bull. Therefore, because ruminants are known to be specic fonts to the human food-borne listeriosis, it is necessary to reconsider the problem of the pathogenicity of Listeria in greater detail by increasing the use of biomolecular techniques to better characterise the suspected listeriosis cases.

BEHAVIOUR ANALYSIS OF CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIEL DIAGNOSED WITH CHIARI-LIKE MALFORMATION AND SYRINGOMYELIA. L Rutherford1, A Wessmann2, C Rusbridge3, I McGonnell1, HA Volk1. 1The Royal Veterinary College, London, UK, 2Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK, 3Stone Lion Veterinary Hospital, London, UK Chiari-like malformation (CM) and syringomyelia (SM) is a debilitating disease complex commonly found in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (CKCS). CM/SM has the potential to cause chronic neuropathic pain and could therefore have inuence on the behaviour trait of aected dogs. The aim of this study was to assess the behaviour of CKCS CM/SM. Clinical records of three UK referral institutions were searched for CKCS with CM/SM. Each owner was contacted individually and was asked to ll in a previously validated behaviour-questionnaire online including 11 categories: stranger directed aggression; owner directed aggression; stranger directed fear; non-social fear; dog directed fear; separationrelated behaviour; attachment or attention seeking behaviour; trainability; chasing behaviour; excitability; pain sensitivity (Hsu and Serpell, 2003). Additional data was collected with the use of

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Abstracts diazepam and carprofen or meloxicam. Demographic characteristics of the two groups, and postoperative analgesic requirements were compared between the two groups (Prism, GraphPad). Body mass, age, sex, and postoperative use of NSAIDs were similar in the two groups. 2/13 dogs required postoperative methadone in group M and 11/13 in group C (p=0.0012). The total number of doses of methadone administered in the 48 hours postoperatively was 28 in group C and 3 in group M (p= 0.0008) EXD morphine administration was eective in improving postoperative analgesia after thoracolumbar spinal surgery in dogs.

References: 1.A Dalmasso et al. Development of a biomolecular assay for the identication of Listeria at species level. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2010; 7: 565-571. 2. M Perrin et al. Fatal case of Listeria inncocua bacteremia. J Clin Microbiol 2003; 41:53085309. 3. J K Walker et al. Listeria inncocua isolated from a case of ovine meningoencephalitis. Vet Microbiol 1994; 42: 245-253.

HISTOLOGICAL AND IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATION OF MUSCLE FROM CALVES TREATED WITH GROWTH PROMOTERS: PRELIMINARY DATA. E Biasibetti1, D Catalano1, RJ Piercy2, S Amedeo1, B Biolatti1, MT Capucchio1. 1Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Turin, Italy, 2Royal Veterinary College, London, UK The illegal use of growth-promoting agents is a signicant problem in animal production. In this context, sex steroids, b-agonists, thyrostatics and corticosteroids are often administered to cattle. Anabolic steroids increase growth rate, stimulate the growth of muscle and reduce fat tissue in calves by acting on lipid and protein metabolism. The use of natural and synthetic hormones as growth promoters in food producing animals is prohibited in the European Union and analytical methods are employed to prevent their illegal use. The aim of this work is to determine the morphological and pathological changes in dierent muscles of calves treated with prednisolone, estradiol-trenbolone (Revalor) and dexamethasone compared with a control group. Prednisolone (30mg) administered per os for 35 days and Revalor by subcutaneous implant in the cattle for 90 days with dexamethasone (0.7mg) for 40 days. Muscle samples from the quadriceps femoris, biceps brachialis, diaphragm and longissimus dorsi were collected immediately following euthanasia, and snap frozen in isopentane pre-cooled in liquid nitrogen. Histological, histochemical and immunohistochemical staining were used to evaluate morphology, oxidative activity and specic bre types. Three dierent mouse monoclonal antibodies were tested: F18 and A4.74 (Developmental Studies Hybridoma Bank, Iowa, USA) and Mab1628 (Millipore, UK). Preliminary analysis revealed no signicant pathology lesions in treated calves compared with controls. Type I quadriceps muscle bres in both the prednisolone and the Revalor treated calves were signicantly reduced (16%) in diameter (p<0.0001) compared with the control calves. In human literature it is reported that glucocorticoids have a direct catabolic eect on muscle, with decreased protein synthesis and increased protein catabolism leading to muscle atrophy (type II bres). To our knowledge this is the rst analytical study of muscle changes in calves treated with growth-promoting agents that are believed to inuence muscle mass. Further studies are underway to characterise changes in other bre types, in other muscles and with all treatments.

EVALUATION OF LUMBOSACRAL NERVE ROOT CONDUCTION IN CHICKENS BY ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL TESTING AND HIGH-RESOLUTION SPINAL MAGNETIC STIMULATION. SR Bader1, A Fischer2, D Emrich1, U Juetting3, T Weyh4, B Kaspers5,6, K Matiasek4. 1Division of Neuropathology, 2Section of Neurology and 5Institute of Physiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Germany, 3Institute of Biomathematics and Biometry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany, 4Heinz Nixdorf Chair for Medical Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Germany, 6 Neuropathology Laboratory, Animal Health Trust, Newmarket, UK Recent evidence of an avian model for mammalian inammatory demyelinating polyneuropathies has stressed the need of a standardized electrophysiological set-up for evaluation of spinal nerve root conduction in chickens. Hence, this study was initiated (1) to establish a tool-set that allows for reproducible evaluation of lumbar motor and sensory nerve root function, (2) to achieve respective age-matched reference values, and (3) to trace the kinetics of peripheral nerve maturation within individual chickens. Nine chickens underwent serial electrodiagnostic examinations between the 6th and 25th week of age. The investigation employed several recommended protocols for sensory and motor nerve stimulation in birds via either electrical currents or magnetic pulses. Moreover, selective rhizotomy of lumbosacral nerve roots, sciatic nerve transection as well as pharmacological nerve blocks were used to elucidate the contribution of the respective roots to the potentials recorded from the periphery or the CNS. In particular, scalp-recorded somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP) and spinal magnetic motor nerve stimulation provided an excellent insight into bre recruitment and conduction/transmission times across the dorsal and ventral spinal roots. Notably, the cervicothoracic and lumbosacral SSEP were not abolished after sciatic neurectomy, lumbosacral rhizotomy or lidocaine nerve block. Thus, reading of lumbar cord dorsum potentials does not allow for an interpretation of the sensory conduction in the sciatic nerve and the lumbosacral roots in this species. Instead, persistence of a recordable potential renders an alternative pathway to the spinal cord other than the lumbosacral plexus probable. The route is still unclear and may represent far eld volume conducted potentials via skin, muscle and/or body uids. The serial investigations further demonstrated that the maturation of the nerve bres in chickens still is incomplete at an age of 15 weeks, which was the cut o value proposed by former studies. Our data document developmental changes up to the 25th week instead.

EFFECT OF EXTRADURAL MORPHINE ON POSTOPERATIVE ANALGESIA AFTER SURGERY FOR THORACOLUMBAR INTERVERTEBRAL DISC EXTRUSION IN DOGS. F Aprea1, GB Cherubini1, V Palus1, E Vettorato1, N Girard, F Corletto1. 1Dick White Referrals, Newmarket, UK The eect of intraoperative extradural (EXD) morphine administration on postoperative analgesia was investigated in dogs undergoing spinal surgery for thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion. Twenty-six dogs were randomly allocated to receive EXD morphine (0.1 mg kg, Group M) or no treatment (group C). Following pre-anaesthetic medication with methadone, anaesthesia was induced with propofol and maintained with isourane or sevourane delivered in oxygen. Lidocaine and fentanyl were administered as constant rate infusion during surgery. In group M morphine was splashed on a collagen patch placed on the dura mater. Methadone was administered slowly IV at the end of surgery. Postoperative analgesia was assessed at regular intervals (every 2 hours for the rst 24 hours, then every 4 hours for the next 24 hours) by assessors unaware of group allocation, using the Short form of the Glasgow Composite Pain Scale. Methadone (0.2 mg kg IM) was administered when the pain score was more than 5. Postoperative medications included gabapentin,

ENTRAPPED L7 DORSAL ROOT GANGLIA SHOW AN INCREASED EXPRESSION OF CALCIUM CHANNEL SUBUNIT ALPHA2DELTA. K Matiasek1, F Steen2, T Goedde3. 1 Animal Heath Trust, Newmarket, UK, 2Neurology Service, Department for Small Animal Medicine, Vetsuisse Zurich, Switzerland, 3Neurology Referral Service, Small Animal Practice Staueneck, Piding, Germany Referred limb pain is the single most important clinical sign of lumbosacral foraminal stenosis (LSFS) in dogs. The mechanism of pain generation is not yet clear, however, neuropathic mechanisms have been suspected. Various experimental models on neuropathic

Abstracts pain highlight the contribution of voltage-gated calcium channel subunit alpha2delta (A2D) to both hyperalgesia and allodynia. In order to shed light on the possible involvement of this candidate molecule in radicular pain in LSFS we investigated the expression levels in the dorsal root ganglion L7 in three LSFSaected dogs via immunohistochemistry. Thereby we compared the slides to non-entrapped, farther cranial DRGs and tissues from non-aected control dogs. All neurons within the entrapped DRGs were strongly immunopositive whereas control tissues showed moderate variations of the expression levels amongst the ganglion cells with one type B population being entirely spared. Immunostaining for A2D revealed a signicant expression throughout all entrapped neuronal subtypes. A2D up regulation in neuropathic pain models facilitates the synaptic propagation of impulses onto the central pain pathways. Since gabapentinoids appear to inhibit the integration of A2D subunits into the presynaptic membrane, our results add scientic evidence to anecdotic observations of the pain alleviating eects of gabapentin and pregabalin in LSFS. Hence, their palliative use may be considered until decompressive surgery comes into eect.

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NERVE GROWTH FACTOR (NGF) PROMOTES PERIPHERAL NERVE REGENERATION AND BEHAVIOURAL RECOVERY FOLLOWING PERIPHERAL NERVE INJURY. AA Webb1, SWP Kemp1, S Dhaliwal1, S Syed1, SK Walsh1, R Midha1. 1Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Canada Nerve growth factor (NGF) has been previously shown to support neurone survival and direct neurite outgrowth in vitro, and to enhance axonal regeneration in vivo. A systematic analysis of NGF dose and dose duration on behavioural recovery following peripheral nerve injury in rodents has not been previously investigated, however. Consequently, we set out to examine the optimal dose and duration of NGF for promoting axonal regeneration and behavioural recovery following peripheral nerve injury. Thirty male Lewis rats were used. There were six surgical groups (n=5/group): 1) nerve crush; 2) direct repair; 3) T-tube with saline (1 week administration); 4) T-tue with NGF (1 week administration); 5) T-tube with NGF (3 week administration, and 6) sham-operated. Based upon previous pharmacodynamic experiments, animals were administered either 800 pg/ul NGF or saline once daily for either 1 or 3 weeks at a volume of 0.1 mls (80 ng/NGF/day). Animals were examined behaviourally before injury and for 3 months after injury. Sensorimotor behavioural analysis consisted of various endpoint (von Frey, thermal withdrawal, tapered beam, horizontal ladder), kinematic, and kinetic (ground reaction forces) measures. Surrogate measures of neural regeneration and sensorimotor behaviour included compound muscle action potential amplitude, wet muscle weights, and histomorphological peripheral nerve measurements. Animals administered NGF for a 3-week period displayed enhanced behavioural recovery in both skilled and at-surface locomotor assessments with NGF not being associated with heightened pain responses. Electrophysiological, myological, and histomorphometrical assessments corroborated the behavioural data. Overall these data show that an appropriate dose and duration are imperative for promoting behavioural recovery following peripheral nerve injury in the rat. These results have potentially important implications for clinical trial development and execution.

during recovery following spinal cord injury, however. Estrogen is known to inuence neurodevelopment, dendritic arborization, and neuronal survival, dierentiation, and plasticity. Estrogen has potential therapeutic benets for improving sensorimotor behaviour and for ameliorating disease development. Nevertheless, sex-related dierences in recovery following spinal cord injury have not been rigorously evaluated following spinal cord injury. In particular, the potential benecial eect of endogenous estrogen on recovery after spinal cord injury has not been thoroughly evaluated. In this study, we hypothesize that there are sex-related dierences in recovery following spinal cord injury and this recovery is due, in part, to endogenous estrogen. Three strain-matched and age-matched experimental groups were evaluated (n=9/group): 1) intact female Wistar rats administered the estrogen receptor antagonist ICI 182,780; 2) intact females administered vehicle; 3) intact males. A variety of sensorimotor behaviours were evaluated before and for 8 weeks after left lateral spinal cord hemisection (C2-C3 level) for all rats. Sensorimotor behaviours evaluated included: endpoint measures (inclined plane, tapered beam, ladder rung task), kinematic (BBB scoring, and quantitative hindlimb kinematics), and kinetics (ground reaction forces). Serotonin (5-HT) was used as an indicator of neuroanatomic plasticity. 5-HT immunoreactivity was evaluated at C8 and L5. All animals had similar extent of spinal cord hemisection. In general, female animals administered ICI 182,780 (estrogen receptor antagonist) performed most poorly on all the behavioural tasks throughout the recovery period. ICI 182,780-treated and male animals had less 5-HT immunoreactivity within the ventral horn of the C8 cervical spinal cord segments compared to vehicle-treated female animals. Overall, these data demonstrate an importance for estrogen receptors in recovery following spinal cord injury. Importantly, these data imply that estrogen is important in behavioural recovery following spinal cord injury and that trials evaluating recovery following spinal cord injury should take this into account, especially in reproductively senescent animals, including postmenopausal women.

PROGNOSTIC FACTORS FOR CANINE INTRACRANIAL MENINGIOMA. RT Bentley1, D Faissler2, P March2, A Mareschal2, G Moore1, GM Silver3. 1Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, West Lafayette, IN, USA, 2Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Grafton, MA, USA, 3 Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital, Woburn, MA, USA Prognostication for canine intracranial meningioma is dicult, with wide-ranging survival times reported for both surgery and radiation therapy. The purpose of this study was to compare clinical, radiological and pathological features with post-operative survival for canine intracranial meningiomas, to identify factors enabling improved prognostication and provision of followup care. Twenty three dogs from 2 institutions with pathologically conrmed intracranial meningiomas, undergoing surgery and radiation therapy (15-17 fractions of 3 gray), were included. Clinical factors recorded were age, presence of seizures, and inter-ictal neurological signs. The radiological factors tumor location, tumor size, degree of peri-tumoral edema and degree of resection were recorded by comparison of pre- and post-operative advanced imaging by two of the investigators, and calculation of the mean score. The pathological factors tumor grade and tumor subtype were recorded, as was the MIB-1 Labelling Index (percentage of nuclei immunohistochemically positive for MIB-1, a nuclear marker of proliferation). Each of the above factors was compared with both post-operative survival and time until recurrence using KaplanMeier survival curves. A p value <0.05 was considered signicant. Although no statistically signicant results were found, a trend between tumor size  4000mm3 and increased post-operative survival was identied (p=0.072). Tumors >4000mm3 were associated with a hazards ratio of death of 3.59 (p=0.089). Degree of tumor resection should also be further studied, as well resected tumors may be less likely to recur. Following good to excellent surgical resection, only 9.1% of tumors recurred, compared to 42.9% of less well resected tumors (p=0.245).

SEX-RELATED DIFFERENCES IN RECOVERY OF YOUNG ADULT WISTAR RATS AFTER SPINAL CORD INJURY. AA Webb1, S Ngan1. 1Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Canada Organization of body movements and posture of intact rats are sexually dierentiated. Little is known about sex dierences

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Abstracts essary to determine whether similar treatment methods may improve success in treatment of canine meningiomas by available chemotherapeutic protocols.

ASSESSMENT OF SAFE CORRIDORS FOR PEDICLE SCREW INSERTION IN CANINE LUMBOSACRAL VERTEBRAE. L Smolders1, G Voorhout1, Rvan de Ven1, N Bergknut1,2, GCM Grinwis1, HAW Hazewinkel1, BP Meij1. 1Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands, 2 Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden An ex vivo cadaver study and an in vivo pilot study were performed to assess pedicle screw-rod xation (PSRF) of the canine lumbosacral junction (LSJ). Sample Population: Six canine lumbosacral spinal specimens and three Greyhound dogs diagnosed with degenerative lumbosacral stenosis (DLSS). Methods: Ex vivo study: PSRF of the LSJ was performed in six spinal specimens using predened guidelines and was evaluated with radiography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. In vivo study: Three Greyhounds diagnosed with DLSS underwent dorsal laminectomy and partial discectomy combined with PSRF of the LSJ. During the 18-month follow-up, the dogs were monitored by means of clinical evaluation, diagnostic imaging, and force plate analysis. The dogs were euthanized in old age, and post-mortem imaging and histopathological investigations of the LSJ were performed. Results: Ex vivo study: Sixteen of 24 inserted screws had an acceptable placement. In vivo study: Ten of 12 inserted screws had an acceptable placement. All dogs functioned normally, without signs of discomfort or neurological decits. Diagnostic imaging and histopathology showed no bony spinal fusion of the LSJ. Force plate analysis revealed a trend toward improved pelvic limb function relative to the preoperative function. Conclusions: PSRF can be successfully applied to the LSJ of large breed dogs and may become a valuable addition to decompressive surgery. Improvements to the surgical technique to induce spinal fusion and assessment in a larger sample size are however required.

PROXIMAL TIBIAL SENSORY CONDUCTION TIME IN DOGS AND CATS: REFERENCE VALUES. E Bianchi1, M Ravera1, G Melis1, PL Dodi1, M Dondi1. 1Animal Health Department, University of Parma, Parma, Italy Electrodiagnostic evaluation of proximal sensory nerve conduction and dorsal nerve root function is mainly based on cord dorsum potentials (CDP) test. Indeed, CDP, even combined with distal sensory nerve conduction studies (SNCS), may fail to identify proximal disorders since they can be masked by lesions aecting the sensory bers more distally. Object of the study was to calculate the proximal sensory conduction time (PSCT) of the tibial nerve in normal adult dogs and cats, by subtracting to the onset latency of CDP the latency of the proximal tibial sensory nerve action potential (SNAP). The correlation between PSCT and the limb length was also calculated using a linear regression model. Ten dogs of dierent breeds and sizes (2-10 years old) and 13 DSH cats (2-6 years old) were included in the study. A thorough electrodiagnostic evaluation of the hind limb performed in all animals in general anesthesia including EMG, motor nerve conduction studies (MNCS), SNCS, F waves and CDP was within normal limits. Tibial SNCS and CDP were recorded simultaneously respectively over the sciatic nerve caudal and deep to great trochanter of femur and from the L4-L5 interarcuate ligament. Approximately 500 stimuli, at a rate of 5.1 Hz, applied proximal to the tarsus were averaged. The limb length (LL) was measured with the leg in full extension from the great trochanter to the tip of the toes. The distance between the great trochanter and the L4 spinous process (GT-L4) was also measured. Data were analyzed by linear regression using tibial PSCT (CDP onset latency - SNCS latency) as the dependent variable and LL and GT-L4 as the independent variable. Mean +/- SD of tibial PSCT was also calculated in cats. Tibial SNCS was a polyphasic potential easily recorded, as CDP, in all subjects. LL ranged from 24 to 59 cm in dogs and from 27.5 to 37 cm in cats. GT-L4 ranged from 10 to 27 cm in dogs and from 12 to 15 cm in cats. In dogs, a very strong correlation was detected for both LL (R=0.9656, P<0.00001) and GT-L4 (R=0.9914, P<0.00001). The estimated models were: expected tibial PSCT = 0.115 + 0.046 X LL (cm); expected tibial PSCT = 0.190 + 0.101 X GT-L4 (cm). In cats, no correlation was detected for both LL (R=0.0513, P=0.8678) and GTL4 (R=0.2425, P=4248). Mean +/- SD for tibial PSCT in cats was 1.35 +/- 0.19 ms. This study provides a new potentially useful tool for the evaluation of proximal sensory nerve and dorsal nerve root problems (radiculopathies, nerve avulsions etc.). In dogs, a very strong linear association exists between PSCT and the independent variables (LL and GT-L4). Therefore, regression equations are provided, in order to calculate expected tibial PSCT. The absence of correlation in cats may possibly be a consequence of the reduced variability of the limb lengths. However the values provided (Mean +/-SD) may be equally useful for clinical purposes.

EXPRESSION OF MULTIDRUG RESISTANCE PROTEINS IN CANINE INTRACRANIAL MENINGIOMAS. A Theobald1, LDe Risio1, L Matiasek1, F Stabile1, K Matiasek1. 1The Animal Health Trust, Newmarket, UK Expression of multidrug resistance proteins by tumour cells and intratumoral blood vessels is hypothesised to either prevent drug uptake into tumour cells or increase the excretion of intracellular medications. Canine meningiomas are considered poorly responsive to chemotherapeutic protocols. We investigated three multidrug resistance proteins (MDR-1, BXP and MRP-1) identied in human brain tumours to determine their presence in intracranial canine meningiomas through immunohistochemical staining. 21 samples were assessed by three investigators to determine whether these proteins were expressed in intratumoral blood vessels and tumour cells. Expression was semiquantitatively described by extent of tissue involved and intensity of staining, association with the cell membrane, and extent of blood vessel involvement. In all but one sample, at least one multidrug resistance protein was expressed. Staining was positive for the respective proteins in 81%, 95% and 85% of samples. In the majority of specimens, expression of MDR-1 was conned solely to the intratumoral blood vessels. BXP and MRP-1 were expressed solely by the tumour cells in the majority of samples. Approximately one-third of samples expressed multidrug resistance proteins in both intratumoral blood vessels and tumour cells. Multidrug resistance proteins were consistently localised in the cell membranes suggesting functional integration. To the authors knowledge, this is the rst report demonstrating a high expression of multidrug resistance proteins in canine intracranial meningiomas. We hypothesise that the presence of these molecules in endothelia decreases the uptake of chemotherapeutic agents from the blood while expression in tumour cell membranes further limits achievement of an eective intracellular drug concentration. New treatment methods in human oncology specically address adjuncts to chemotherapeutic protocols to counter expression of these proteins. Further investigation is nec-

NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION OF ACUTE POLYRADICULONEUROPATHY IN DOGS: RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF 15 CASES. G Melis1, M Ravera1, M Dondi1, E Bianchi1. 1Animal Health Department, University of Parma, Parma, Italy Acute canine polyradiculopathy (ACP) is a peripheral neuropathy in which an immune-mediated attack against peripheral nerves is suspected. Acute polyradiculoneuropathy of people, ` Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), is classied, based on neurophysiological studies, in three major subtypes: acute inammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP), acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN) and acute motor sensory axonal neuropathy (AMSAN). Object of this study was to evaluate retrospectively

Abstracts the electrodiagnostic studies of dogs with ACP and to classify them in subtypes using neurophysiological criteria similar to those used in GBS. Fifteen dogs with a diagnosis of suspect ACP underwent a thorough electrodiagnostic evaluation including: EMG, repetitive stimulation, motor (motor nerve conduction studies MNCS, F waves) and sensory evaluation (sensory nerve conduction studies SNCS and/or cord dorsum potentials CDP) in at least 1 tibial and 1 ulnar nerve. AIDP dogs showed, in 2 or more nerves, at least one sign of demyelination (<2SD below normal values of motor conduction velocity, proximal/distal CMAP amplitude ratio <0.5, proximal/distal CMAP area ratio <0.5, F wave min latency>150% expected latency, change in CMAP duration>15%). Were classied as AMAN or AMSAN (if <2SD below normal values of SNAP amplitude or of sensory velocity or CDP onset latency>expected latency) dogs with reduced CMAP that didnt suit the criteria for AIDP. Six dogs (40%) were classied as aected by the subtype AIDP, 5 (33%) were in the AMAN and 4 (27%) in the AMSAN group. Abnormal discharges at EMG and reduced CMAP were present in all the dogs (100%). MNCS showed a conduction velocity <2SD below normal values in 7 dogs (47%). A proximal/distal CMAP amplitude ratio <0.5 was present in 3 dogs (20%); proximal/distal CMAP area ratio <0.5 was present in 4 dogs (27%). F waves min latency >150% expected latency in 3 dogs (20%) and were absent in 3 dogs (20%). Seven dogs (47%) had a change in CMAP duration>15%. Three of the 9 dogs (33%) in which SNCS were performed had a signicant reduction in velocity, 2 (22%) had a signicant reduction in SNAP amplitude. CDP onset latency was prolonged in 7 (47%) dogs and was absent 1 dog (7%). This study proposes a classication of ACP similar to the one used in GBS. The results indicate that in at least a part of the dogs aected by this syndrome the demyelinating features possibly overcome the axonal loss (AIDP group). Another interesting aspect is that in some subjects the sensory bers are aected similarly to motor bers (AMSAN group). In GBS the dierent subtypes reect dierent pathological and immunobiological features and partially dierent clinical pictures and outcomes. More studies on ACP are needed in order to better correlate electrodiagnostic results with clinical and pathogenetic aspects.

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In all three dogs the lesion was surgically removed. Pathological examination conrmed the diagnosis of a dermoid sinus in all cases. Two of the cases (1 and 3) described here were type IV. The remaining two were previously unrecognized types of dermoid sinus: the open sinus tract reached only about to the level of the supraspinous ligament and continued as a brous cord connecting to the dura mater. The brous cords had no adnexal structures or only a few hair follicles near the sinus bottom. We propose that this new type of dermoid sinus would be classied as type VI. To the authors knowledge this is the rst case series describing dermoid sinus in a Chinese crested dog and a Swedish vallhund. In addition, the veterinary literature describes no previous dermoid sinus related syringohydromyelia or this new type of dermoid sinus suggested here as type VI.

EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT PH ON CHOLINESTERASES ACTIVITY AND BIMOLECULAR RATE CONSTANT OF DICHLORVOS IN THE TISSUES OF FOOD ANIMALS. KA Askar1, C Kudi1, J Moody1. 1School of Biomedical and Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Plymouth, UK Cholinesterases are specialized carboxylic ester hydrolases that break down esters of Choline. They are classied into either acetylcholinesterase or butyrylcholinesterase and have been demonstrated by Ellman method, adapted to 96-well microtiter plate, in homogenates of liver and meat from sheep, cattle, and pigs studied at dierent pH ranges of 6.09.0. Organophosphorus (dichlorvos) are among the most toxic of all substances that cause poisoning in food animals and are the most frequently encountered insecticides, commonly detected in water, agricultural products and soil. It can be harmful after accidental or deliberate exposures in animal-derived foodstus and represent a signicant potential health risk. Intoxication to dichlorvos causes a generalized cholinergic crisis due to inhibition of cholinesterases whose major physiological role is nervous transmission in mammalian tissues. The optimal pH values range obtained is pH 7.88.1 for acetylcholinesterase in liver and meat, while in butyrylcholinesterase, the optimal pH is 8.3-8.5 for liver and pH 7.77.9 for meat. Rate of inhibition constants values (ki) for dichlorvos increases with increase pHs and ranged between 0.0390.105 min1 for acetylcholinesterase while in butyrylcholinesterase ranged between 0.0540.104 min-1. Percentage residual activity for dichlorvos decreases with increase pHs of the reaction mixture and was higher in butyrylcholinesterase (10.133.2%) than acetylcholinesterase (5.39.6%). Good correlation and signicance were obtained between acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase assayed with dierent optimum pHs (r>0.82, P<0.05). The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare the eect of dierent pH on ki of dichlorvos in dierent pHs and determine optimum pH in liver and meat cholinesterases activity. Furthermore, determine the hygienics in animal tissues used for human consumption. In conclusion, the results are the rst work in providing original data concerning an enzymological pH characterization of cholinesterases activities in food animals. This data also pointed pH 6.5 as the recommended pH for measuring cholinesterases inhibition with dichlorvos. It also conrms that assaying acetylcholinesterase is a better indicator for monitoring organophosphorus contamination than butyrylcholinesterase in liver and meat.

DERMOID SINUS AND SPINA BIFIDA IN THREE DOGS AND A CAT. AM Kiviranta1, AK Lappalainen1, K Hagner1, TS Jokinen1. 1Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland This case series describes four cases of concomitant dermoid sinus and spina bida in a Chinese crested dog (case 1), two Swedish vallhunds (cases 2 and 3) and a Burmese cat (case 4). The ages of the animals were 5, 11, 3 and 4.5 months, respectively. All animals presented with a depression in the skin and abnormal hair growth in the cranial thoracic area that had been noticed at or within a few weeks of birth. Case 2 also had a history of progressive hind limb ataxia and paraparesis and the cat (case 4) hind limb ataxia and urinary incontinence. Neurological examination revealed ambulatory paraparesis, ataxia and decreased postural reactions in both hind limbs in case 2. Case 3 showed no panniculus reex on the left side and on the right side to the lumbar area. At the request of the owner, the cat underwent no neurological examination prior to euthanasia. A computed tomography (CT) study revealed a spina bida and processus spinosus malformations of the cranial thoracic vertebraes in all the dogs. Fistulography revealed a connection between the skin and the spinal canal in cases 1 and 3. In case 2, the contrast material reached only to the level of the supraspinous ligament, but the spinal cord was smaller in diameter and dorsally elevated at the level of the lesion. In magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study case 2 had in T1-weighted images a hypointense and in the T2-weighted images a hyperintense, and in the FLAIR images a hypointense intramedullary lesion interpreted as a syringohydromyelia.

ADD-ON GABAPENTIN THERAPY AT-HOME IN DOGS WITH CLUSTER SEIZURES. M Partej1, M Leschnik1, JG Thalhammer1, A Pakozdy1. 1Clinic for Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria Rectal administration of diazepam is a well-known, accepted at-home therapy for the treatment of canine cluster seizures. However, we observed that in some cases it is either not eective enough or it causes severe side eects. Thus, an alternative therapeutic regime is needed. The eect of gabapentin in the

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Abstracts study was designed to investigate healthy cats and cats suering from seizures with the same anaesthetic and EEG recording protocol. The diagnostic value of EEG recording supplemented by photic stimulation and hyperventilation in cats suering from seizures was evaluated. Six healthy and 13 cats with seizures were investigated in the current study. EEGs in healthy cats were recorded in light (mean dose of 0.23 mg/kg/min) and deep (mean dose of 0.7 mg/ kg/min) propofol anaesthesia. In the 13 diseased cats propofol anaesthesia was kept as light as possible (mean dose of 0.39 mg/ kg/min) during EEG recording. EEGs were achieved via ve subdermal needle electrodes (F3, F4, Cz, O1, O2). After recording baseline data, a photic stimulation was carried out with different ash frequencies. Subsequent to a three-minute break, animals were hyperventilated in order to reduce the carbon dioxide tension to a mean value of 25 mmHg (range 18-34 mmHg) within a mean duration of 211 seconds (range 180-373 seconds). EEGs were analysed visually in mono- and bipolar montages to detect any paroxysmal discharges or change in background activity. Paroxysmal discharges were detected in two cats with idiopathic epilepsy and in 4 cats with symptomatic epilepsy and in none of the healthy animals. Photic stimulation and hyperventilation did not result in sudden outbreaks of paroxysmal activity or asymmetrical changes of background activity. However, photic driving was detected in one of six healthy cats under light, in ve of six healthy cats under deep propofol anaesthesia and in 11 of 13 diseased cats. Since cats suer more often from atypical seizures or seizurelike phenomena as dogs, EEG in cats suering from seizures can be recommended because it can add unique information to the diagnostic work-up. The systematic use of activation techniques seems not to increase the diagnostic value of the recorded EEGs and should therefore only be used after careful consideration. Further investigations on the origin of photic driving under propofol anaesthesia are needed and can lead to the development of a reliable animal model to investigate drug eects on EEG ndings.

at-home treatment of 15 refractory epileptic dogs with idiopathic epilepsy including cluster seizures (at least 2 seizures in a 24 hour-period) was evaluated. Dogs with the history of cluster seizures due to idiopathic epilepsy were included. The dogs had to have experienced at least one cluster with and one without administration of gabapentin, respectively. When cluster seizures started, additional gabapentin treatment was initiated perorally at a dosage of 20 mg/kg TID for at least 3 days. Following parameters were evaluated with and without use of gabapentin: number of seizures per cluster, severity and duration of seizures, seizure type changing, duration of cluster seizures, interictal general condition during cluster seizure, quality of life. Fifteen dogs (8 male, 7 female) were included. The mean age of seizure onset was 2.9 years. For long-term treatment phenobarbital (14), potassium bromide (6), levetiracetam (4), clonazepam (2) and zonisamide (1) were used. Four dogs received monotherapy, 10 dogs received two drugs and 1 dog received three drugs to receive seizure control. Statistical analyses were performed by using Chi-square and Wilcoxon test. The mean number of seizures per cluster without and with gabapentin was 5.81 (SD: 4.39), respectively 7.27 (SD: 6.97; p=0.65). The mean duration of a cluster seizure without and with gabapentin was 27.8 vs. 37 hours, respectively (p=0.23). Furthermore, gabapentin did not seem to have signicant inuence on seizure type (p=0.17). The severity and duration of seizures was reduced in 4 and 2 out of 14 dogs respectively. Interictal general condition during cluster seizures was ameliorated considerably by gabapentin in 4 /14 dogs (p=0.06). Eight owners (out of 14) considered their dogs quality of life in a cluster had improved by the use of gabapentin. 40 % of owners experienced cost reduction due to a lowering of the need of emergency clinic visits associated with potential required hospitalisation. Lethargy, ataxia, polyphagia, polydipsia, and agitation were the most frequently reported adverse eects. As nancial and emotional constraints of repeated emergency therapy are often the limiting factors in an owners decision regarding euthanasia, gabapentin can be considered as an alternative solution in the add on treatment athome of cluster seizures, however, only in individual dogs a considerable benet could be found. Although we could not conrm a signicant positive eect on cluster seizures by the use of gabapentin in the study group, in some individual dogs clear amelioration was reported.

ACTIVATION TECHNIQUES IN THE ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY (EEG) OF HEALTHY AND DISEASED CATS. C Brauer1,2, SBR Kastner1,2, AM Kulka1, A Tipold1,2. 1Depart ment of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany, 2Center for Systems Neuroscience, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany Only a few reports and studies on feline electroencephalography (EEG) exist and none of these studies investigated healthy and diseased cats under comparable conditions. The present