Todayโs path rounds are on ๐ก๐ฒ๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฉ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฌ!
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
Hydrocephalus is the abnormal accumulation of fluid in the cranial cavity, in most cases within the brainโs ๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ (spaces where the cerebrospinal fluid flows within the brain).
๐๐ก๐จ ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
Any species can get these! Most commonly we see this in dogs, cattle and occasionally in horses.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
There are many different causes of hydrocephalus, but the basic cause is disrupted drainage of cerebrospinal fluid from the brain. This can be caused by a tumour, inflammation, or even a malformation of the brain during development.
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ?
The end result of disrupted drainage is accumulation of fluid within the brain. This leads to ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง (enlargement) of the ventricles due to the increased fluid pressure. Because the brain is within an enclosed space, the excess fluid accumulation causes compression of the brain tissue by pushing it against the skull. In a developing animal, this pressure can also lead to thinning and softening of the skull bone, making the head very susceptible to trauma.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฌ๐๐?
In a young animal, the head often has a domed shaped with a softened skull, which can lead to a veterinarian making an initial diagnosis based off clinical suspicion. Animals may have ๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐ฌ, like falling down or extreme lethargy, pointing to issues within the brain. To fully diagnose the condition in a living animal, X-rays or an MRI can be conducted to visualize the excess fluid. At necropsy, the skull cap can be removed to visualize the brain directly. These brains often look soft and floppy, not firm like they normally would. From there, the brain can be removed and sliced into sections to visualize the size of the ventricles, confirming the diagnosis.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐?
In some cases, drugs can be administered to reduce how much cerebrospinal fluid is produced, hopefully allowing the brainโs drainage systems to keep up. There are some surgical options for improving drainage available as well, depending on the patient.
๐๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐จ๐ฌ
1) The classic appearance of hydrocephalus with a large, empty space within the brain. This photo is just *chefโs kiss*, so beautiful!
2) Another ๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง of the brain showing a dilated ventricle.
3-4) Two examples of ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ-๐ฌ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ showing dilated ventricles. Your brain should not have holes that large in it!
5) A fully trimmed normal brain for comparison to the two previous photos.
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ
Maxie, G. Jubb, Kennedy and Palmerโs Pathology of Domestic Animals, Volume 2. Sixth Edition.
Photos 1 and 5 courtesy of University of Calgary Diagnostic Services Unit.
Photo 2-4 courtesy of Noahโs Arkive.
