First report of cerebellar abiotrophy in an Arabian foal from Argentina

• Published in: Open veterinary journal Vol. 6; no. 3; pp. 259 - 262
• Main Authors: Sadaba, S A, Madariaga, G J, Botto, C M Corbi, Carino, M H, Zappa, M E, García, P Peral, Olguín, S A, Massone, A, Díaz, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Libya Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tripoli and Libyan Authority for Research, Science and Technology 01.01.2016; Tripoli University
• Subjects: Apoptosis; Arabian horses; Case Report; Cerebellar abiotrophy; DNA; Purkinje cells; Cerebellar abiotrophy; Purkinje cells; DNA; Arabian horses; Apoptosis
• ISSN: 2226-4485; 2218-6050; 2218-6050
• DOI: 10.4314/ovj.v6i3.17

Evidence of cerebellar abiotrophy (CA) was found in a six-month-old Arabian filly with signs of incoordination, head tremor, wobbling, loss of balance and falling over, consistent with a cerebellar lesion. Normal hematology profile blood test and cerebrospinal fluid analysis excluded infectious encephalitis, and serological testing for was negative. The filly was euthanized. Postmortem X-ray radiography of the cervical cephalic region identified not abnormalities, discounting spinal trauma. The histopathological analysis of serial transverse cerebellar sections by electron microscopy revealed morphological characteristics of apoptotic cells with pyknotic nuclei and degenerate mitochondria, cytoplasmic condensation and areas with absence of Purkinje cells, matching with CA histopathological characteristics. The indirect DNA test for CA was positive in the filly, and DNA test confirmed the CA carrier state in the parents and the recessive inheritance of the disease. To our knowledge this is the first report of a CA case in Argentina.