Cagnotti Giulia, Sammartano Federica, Bertone Iride, Capucchio Maria Teresa, Nicola Isabella, Sacchi Paola, Bellino Claudio, D'Angelo Antonio
Department of Veterinary Science, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Torino, Italy.
J Vet Diagn Invest. 2019 Mar;31(2):228-234. doi: 10.1177/1040638718823037. Epub 2019 Jan 13.
A 15-d-old female crossbreed calf was referred because of paraplegia since birth. Clinical examination revealed a skin defect covered by hair on the dorsal midline in the thoracic area of the spine. Thoracolumbar spinal cord neuroanatomic localization was determined based on neurologic examination. Computed tomography of the thoracolumbar spine revealed incomplete fusion of the vertebral arches from T6 to T10 and duplication of the vertebral arch of T7. At the level of T6-T7, duplication of the spinal cord with 2 segments completely separated by a septum of hyperattenuating, probably cartilaginous, tissue was noted. Histologically, the spinal segments had different degrees of duplication. Three central canals were detected in one region. Genetic investigation for the presence of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphism, which has been investigated in both human and veterinary medicine as a possible cause of neural tube defects and abortion, was carried out and was negative in both the calf and her dam.
一头15日龄的雌性杂交犊牛因自出生起就出现截瘫而被转诊。临床检查发现，在脊柱胸段的背侧中线处有一个被毛覆盖的皮肤缺损。基于神经学检查确定了胸腰段脊髓的神经解剖定位。胸腰椎的计算机断层扫描显示，T6至T10的椎弓未完全融合，且T7椎弓重复。在T6 - T7水平，发现脊髓重复，两个节段被一个高密度的、可能是软骨组织的隔膜完全分隔开。组织学检查显示，脊髓节段有不同程度的重复。在一个区域检测到三个中央管。对亚甲基四氢叶酸还原酶（MTHFR）多态性进行了基因检测，在人和兽医学中，该多态性都被研究作为神经管缺陷和流产的可能原因，检测结果在犊牛及其母亲中均为阴性。
