MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING OF INTRACRANIAL MALFORMATIONS IN DOGS AND CATS

摘要

Intracranial malformations are a common cause of neurologic deficits in young and developing animals. Both genetic and environmental factors can lead to malformation of the brain during its development. Brain injury in utero may be caused by infection(often viral), toxicity, hypoxia-ischemia or trauma. The gross lesion, as is seen with intracranial imaging, represents a combination of both developmental malformation and atrophy. Macrophage responses predate astroglial repair within the developing central nervous system (CNS) and so resorption of necrotic tissue may occur without evident astrocytosis or glial scarring to suggest prior injury. Hence, there may be no clear pathologic distinction between primary (developmental) and secondary (atrophic)malformation of the brain. Clinical signs of a CNS malformation in dogs and cats are usually present from a young age although some malformations, such as intracranial cysts, may not cause neurologic dysfunction until adulthood. Magnetic resonance (MR)imaging has revolutionized the diagnosis of intracranial malformations in humans and animals.