1. Findings on low-field cranial MR images in epileptic dogs that lack interictal neurological deficits.
- Author
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Smith PM, Talbot CE, and Jeffery ND
- Subjects
- Age Factors, Animals, Diagnosis, Differential, Dog Diseases diagnosis, Dogs, Epilepsy diagnosis, Epilepsy diagnostic imaging, Female, Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods, Male, Neurologic Examination veterinary, Radiography, Seizures diagnosis, Seizures diagnostic imaging, Brain diagnostic imaging, Dog Diseases diagnostic imaging, Epilepsy veterinary, Magnetic Resonance Imaging veterinary, Seizures veterinary
- Abstract
Recurrent seizuring is a common neurological problem in dogs and can present diagnostic difficulties for the attending clinician. Associated interictal neurological deficits strongly suggest brain disease but the frequency of structural abnormalities in patients without such deficits is unknown. In this study the prevalence of clinically significant magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) abnormalities was determined in two groups of interictally normal dogs, those younger than 6 years and those older than 6 years of age. In the former group, only 1/46 dogs (2.2%) had significant MRI abnormalities, whereas in the latter group, 8/30 (26.7%) were abnormal. None of the dogs had an identifiable metabolic cause for the seizures. These findings suggest that the diagnostic yield of advanced neuroimaging techniques in young seizuring dogs without interictal neurological deficits is low, but reaffirms their value in similar older individuals.
- Published
- 2008
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