Late Onset of Cerebellar Abiotrophy in a Boxer Dog

Abstract

Cerebellar abiotrophy is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system and has been reported in humans and animals. This case report documents clinical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical findings of cerebellar abiotrophy in an adult Boxer dog. A 3.5-year-old, female, tan Boxer dog presented with a six-week history of left-sided head tilt. Neurological examination and additional diagnostics during her three subsequent visits over 4.5 months revealed worsening of neurological signs including marked head pressing, severe proprioceptive deficits in all the four limbs, loss of menace response and palpebral reflex in the left eye, and a gradual seizure lasting one hour at her last visit. Based on the immunohistochemical staining for glial fibrillary acidic protein and histopathological examination of cerebellum, cerebellar cortical abiotrophy was diagnosed. This is the first reported case of cerebellar abiotrophy in a Boxer dog to our knowledge.

Transient Postural Vestibulo-Cerebellar Syndrome in Three Dogs With Presumed Cerebellar Hypoplasia

“…MRI findings in our case study are consistent with cerebellar tissue reduction, which can be a result of active pathologic process such as degeneration or non-progressive finding due to atrophy or hypoplasia. Cerebellar cortical abiotrophy is a degenerative, slowly progressive disorder with a genetic component described in multiple breeds ( 8 – 13 ). However, the repeated MRI study in case 1 and follow up in all three cases did not suggest and signs of progression as would be expected with degeneration.…”

Late‐onset cerebellar abiotrophy in a Labrador Retriever

“…2 Affected dogs are classified based on the age of onset into three groups: early (24-weeks of age), intermediate (51-6 weeks of age), or late-onset (5 months or older). 9 The progression of neurological dysfunction in the late-onset form is slower than in dogs with the early and intermediate onset forms. 3 The late-onset form is uncommon and has been reported in American Staffordshire Terriers, 4,5 Old English Sheepdogs, 6 Gordon Setters, 7 Brittany Spaniels 8 and a Boxer.…”

“…3 The late-onset form is uncommon and has been reported in American Staffordshire Terriers, 4,5 Old English Sheepdogs, 6 Gordon Setters, 7 Brittany Spaniels 8 and a Boxer. 9 The progression of neurological dysfunction in the late-onset form is slower than in dogs with the early and intermediate onset forms. 3 In addition, a rare form of cerebellar degeneration has been documented in the Chinese Crested and Kerry Blue terrier breeds, which affects not only the cerebellar cortex but the extrapyramidal nuclei as well.…”

Cerebellar granuloprival and trans‐synaptic degeneration in a Chihuahua

“…The most frequently reported form of CCA is characterised by degeneration of the Purkinje cell layer with secondary granule cell loss. This form was first described in the Kerry blue terrier2 3 but can also affect other dog breeds, including the Gordon Setter or the Scottish terrier 4–10. Another type of cerebellar degeneration has been reported in dogs, characterised by primary degeneration of the granular cells in the presence of a normal Purkinje cell layer, called cerebellar granuloprival degeneration (CGD).…”