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

Abstract

This case study presents a unique transient postural vestibular syndrome in three dogs. The transient postural symptoms present as pronounced vestibulo-cerebellar signs after altering the position of the head. Magnetic resonance imaging findings of the brain suggest caudal cerebellar hypoplasia, affecting vermis, and floccular lobes bilaterally in case 1, and hypoplasia of the nodulus vermis in cases 2 and 3. No progression of clinical signs was reported in minimum of 4 months period.

Response to: Was the ‘alternating head tilt’ a ‘positioning head tilt’?

“…Additionally, after dorsal extension of the head, exacerbation of signs was occurring [induction of left head tilt, vertical (downbeat) nystagmus, skew deviation (vertical misalignment of the eyes)], which were abating with time (Video S1). Similar semiology has been reported in dogs (Prikryl et al 2020) and humans with CNU pathology (Sander et al 2006). Whether this downbeat nystagmus is a result of vestibulo-ocular reflex deficit or smooth pursuit imbalance is unknown (Tilikete & Pelisson 2008).…”

“…Positional signs (i.e. nystagmus, strabismus) are well described in veterinary neurology (De Lahunta et al 2021), whilst positioning head tilt has been recently described in dogs with cerebellar hypoplasia affecting the cerebellar nodulus and uvula (CNU) (Tamura et al 2016, Prikryl et al 2020, Tamura 2021.…”

A retrospective study of structural brain lesions identified by magnetic resonance imaging in 114 cats with neurological signs

“…This may be explained by the fact that the blood supply to the brainstem, cerebellum, and inner ear is derived from the vertebrobasilar system [ 21 ]. Interruption of the vestibular nuclei-archicerebellar loop may cause central paroxysmal positional vertigo [ 22 ]. Another study of vestibulocerebellar syndrome in three dogs with presumed cerebellar hypoplasia noted that vestibular syndrome is related to a disease process affecting the vestibulocochlear nerve, medulla oblongata, brainstem, thalamus, and cerebellum [ 22 ].…”