Borrelli A, Mattiazzi L, Capucchio M T, Biolatti C, Cagnasso A, Gianella P, D'Angelo A
Department of Animal Pathology - Clinical Section, University of Turin, Via L. Da Vinci 44, 10095 Grugliasco (TO), Italy.
J Small Anim Pract. 2009 Oct;50(10):554-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-5827.2009.00788.x.
An eight-year-old female boxer was referred because of weight loss of several months' duration. On physical examination, cachexia was the only reported abnormality. Neurological symptoms were shown only in the last days preceding death and consisted of altered mental status, compulsive behaviour and left rear proprioception deficit. At post-mortem examination, a voluminous, soft, haemorrhagic mass was found invading the floor of the brain. Based on the morphological features of the tumour, marked parenchymal invasion, extensive necrosis and cellular atypia, the mass was classified as an anaplastic ependymoma. This case report shows similarities to the diencephalic syndrome reported in human paediatric medicine in which the main clinical sign is a profound emaciation in spite of normal or slightly diminished caloric intake. Weight loss and cachexia are clinically relevant problems in small animals and these clinical signs should raise a suspicion, among the other differentials, of a brain tumour, even in absence of neurologic signs.
一只八岁的雌性拳师犬因持续数月的体重减轻前来就诊。体格检查时，恶病质是唯一报告的异常情况。神经症状仅在死亡前几天出现，包括精神状态改变、强迫行为和左后肢本体感觉缺陷。尸检时，发现一个巨大、柔软、出血性肿块侵犯脑底部。根据肿瘤的形态学特征、明显的实质浸润、广泛坏死和细胞异型性，该肿块被分类为间变性室管膜瘤。本病例报告显示与人类儿科学中报道的间脑综合征有相似之处，其主要临床体征是尽管热量摄入正常或略有减少但仍出现严重消瘦。体重减轻和恶病质是小动物临床上的相关问题，这些临床体征即使在没有神经症状的情况下，在其他鉴别诊断中也应引起对脑瘤的怀疑。
