Ataxia and Disequilibrium in Domestic Ducks (Anas platyrhynchos f. dom.) with Intracranial Lipomas

Abstract

Abstract. Four birds in a flock of 125 purebred Crested ducks (Anas platyrhynchos f. dom.) had cerebellar signs of unknown etiology. They had radiographically evident perforations of various sizes in the parietooccipital calvaria. Gross necropsy of euthanatized ducks revealed yellow intracranial masses in the brain of each. Histologically, these masses were intracranial lipomas consisting of univacuolated fatty tissue separated into lobules by strands of connective tissue. The masses had caused serious deformation of the rostral part of the cerebellum, leading to a nearly complete flattening of cerebellar folia, and were interpreted as the cause for the central nervous clinical signs observed. These intracranial lipomas were similar to those previously reported in other animals and humans.

The use of conventional radiography and computer-assisted tomography as instruments for demonstration of gross pathological lesions in the cranium and cerebrum in the crested breed of the domestic duck (Anas platyrhynchosf.dom.)

“…The Hounsfield values, derived from the computer-assisted tomography, suggest that the atypical tissue complex in the tentorium cerebelli is of a fatty composition. Tissue histology has shown an accumulation of fat cells with a single lipid droplet, surrounded by connective tissue (Bartels et al, 1998). The increase of cranial capacity in Crested ducks probably results from an increase of the tentorial fatty depot during craniogenesis.…”

“…The development of the crest among domestic ducks (in contrast to non-crested ducks) shows that, apart from the presence of genetic defects, the development of these structures can cause profound anatomic malformation, like faulty cranium formation and structure, and anomalies in cerebral anatomy (see Krautwald, 1910;Rüst, 1932;Requate, 1959;Lancaster, 1990;Bartels et al, 1998). Images produced by computer-assiste d tomography portray the significant extent of the fatty tissue deposits located between the telencephalon and cerebellum, which were first described by Krautwald (1910).…”

“…In addition to the hypodermal thickening of the skin, which is the basis for crest development, the pleiotropic effects of the crest gene also cause preand post-natal chick death, and lead to pathological changes in the cranium and cerebrum in adult ducks. These lesions can cause signs of central nervous disorder (Krautwald, 1910;Rüst, 1932;Requate, 1959;Bartels et al, 1998).…”

The Comparative Morphology of the Cerebellum in Caprimulgiform Birds: Evolutionary and Functional Implications

“…dom.) that drastically reduced the sizes of folia I and II result in head and neck ataxia and torticollis [Bartels et al, 2002] which suggests that folium II is related to some aspect of postural maintenance. The small II in apodiforms might therefore refl ect some aspect of postural behavior that is not present in the other species sampled.…”

An unusual lipomatous brain mass in a Golden Retriever dog

“…1,2,4,6,9,10,12,13 Intracranial lipomatous hamartomas are composed predominantly of mature adipose tissue with varying amounts of intervening fibrous tissue or other mesenchymal elements; however, in contrast to the mass presented herein, these lesions are typically extraparenchymal and arise from meninges or are associated with midline structures of the brain such as the corpus callosum and ventricles. 1,2,4,6,9,10,12,13 In humans and other species, additional anomalies, including agenesis or hypoplasia of the corpus callosum and septum pellucidum, often occur in association with lipomatous hamartomas, but these were not present in our case. 6,12 Although the histogenesis remains unclear, it is generally regarded that intracranial lipomatous hamartomas are congenital malformative lesions that arise from pluripotential cells of the meninx primitive-the embryonic mesenchymal covering of the brain that gives rise to the pia-, arachnoid-, and dura mater.…”