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
What is an early clinical sign of a degenerative polyneuropathy?
Laryngeal paralysis
List five causes of acute cranial neuropathies
Idiopathic facial nerve paralysis
Idiopathic peripheral vestibular syndrome
Idiopathic trigeminal neuritis
Otitis media/internal
Idiopathic Horner syndrome
What is the most common differential for peripheral vestibular disease?
Idiopathic peripheral vestibular syndrome
List three differential diagnosises for peripheral vetibular syndrome
Otitis media/interna
Neoplasia
Trauma
What are the two phases of the bladder?
Storage
Voiding
List four clinical signs of a tail pull injury
Flaccid tail
Flaccid anus
Urinary incontinence
Sciatic nerve deficits
