Diseases of Peripheral Nerves Flashcards
What may you see on a clinical assessment of the motor unit with a deficit?
Decreased spinal reflex
Denervation atrophy of the muscles
Decreased muscle tone
What is the most common cause of generalised acute loss of reflexes?
Polyradiculoneuritis
What is the most common cause of focal acute loss of reflexes?
Brachial plexus avulsion
What is polyradiculoneuritis?
An immune mediated disease that predominantly attacks the axons in dogs
How would you diagnose polyradiculoneuritis?
Rule out metabolic differentials
No megaesophagus
Electrodiagnostics show diffuse axonal disease
Elevated CSF protein with normal cell count
What are the three parts of treatment of brachial plexus avulsion?
Physiotherapy
Nerve/tendon transfer
Amputation if self trauma
What is the main differential of brachial plexus avulsion?
Thromboembolism
Which syndrome may you also seen with brachial plexus avulsion?
Horner’s syndrome
What are two generalised neurological causes of loss of muscle mass?
Polymyositis
Congenital myopathy
What is a focal cause of loss of muscle mass?
Nerve sheath tumours
What are the three main aetiologies of polymyositis?
Immune mediated
Infectious
Paraneoplastic
What is the progression of a brachial plexus tumour?
Lameness progressing to paresis with marked muscle atrophy
Which two clinical signs would give you a suspicion for myasthenia gravis?
Generalised neuromuscular neurolocalisation
Megaoesophagus
List three treatments for myasthenia gravis
Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (pyridostigmine)
+/- immune suppression
Postural feeding
What are the clinical signs of myasthenia gravis?
Generalised LMN when fatigued with or without facial paresis
