Comparative histological study of cerebellar abiotrophy in a dog and a foal

Abstract

A comparative histological study was performed in two cases of cerebellar abiotrophy in a dog (Canis lupus familiaris) and a foal (Equus ferus caballus) to assess whether the pathological changes differed in type and/or severity between these species. Samples of cerebellum (vermis, lateral hemispheres and flocculonodular lobe) from a female American Staffordshire terrier dog that developed signs of cerebellar abiotrophy at 6 years of age and was euthanized 6 months later due to poor prognosis, and a male Arabian foal that showed signs of cerebellar disease at 40 days of age and was euthanized 1 week later, were used. Samples were processed histologically, stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and examined microscopically to assess the types of lesions and their degree of severity using a 3-scale scoring system (mild, moderate, or severe). The main histological changes in both cases were a reduction in the number of cells in the granular layer, loss of Purkinje neurons, and thinning of molecular layer with astrogliosis. There were no qualitative differences of these lesions between species, although minor differences in the severity scores were observed for astrogliosis on the molecular layer, and reduction in the number of cells in the granular layer. We speculate that these differences could be attributed to differences in the clinical courses between cases, rather than to interspecific attributes.