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. 2012 Aug;53(8):855-9.

Transcranial Doppler sonographic findings in granulomatous meningoencephalitis in small breed dogs

Cibele Figueira Carvalho  1 , Raquel Braga Perez, Maria Cristina Chamas, Paulo Cesar Maiorka
Affiliations

Transcranial Doppler sonographic findings in granulomatous meningoencephalitis in small breed dogs

Cibele Figueira Carvalho et al. Can Vet J. 2012 Aug.

Abstract
in English, French

Granulomatous meningoencephalitis (GME) is an acute, progressive, and often fatal inflammatory disease of the central nervous system, affecting mainly small and toy dog breeds. A definitive diagnosis of GME can only be achieved through histopathologic examination of samples collected after death. This retrospective study describes transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TDS) findings in dogs with confirmed clinical histopathology of GME. Eleven dogs were selected for this study. Sonographic findings in B-mode demonstrated diffuse decreased brain parenchyma echogenicity in 9 dogs, ventriculomegaly in 8 dogs, brain atrophy in 4 dogs, and hyperechoic focal lesions in 6 dogs. Color Doppler imaging revealed more obvious vessels of the arterial circle in 10 dogs. Spectral Doppler examination was performed in 10 dogs to detect the 6 major cerebral arteries of interest. The examination showed normal and high resistive index (RI) values in the outlined arteries. The TDS findings were consistent with pathology found on postmortem examination.

RésuméConstatations échographiques Doppler transcrâniennes pour la méningoencéphalite granulomateuse chez les chiens de petite race. La méningoencéphalite granulomateuse (MEG) est une maladie inflammatoire aiguë, progressive et souvent mortelle du système nerveux central qui touche surtout les chiens de petite race. Un diagnostic définitif de MEG peut seulement être obtenu par un examen histopathologique des échantillons recueillis après la mort. Cette étude rétrospective décrit les constatations d’une échographie Doppler transcrânienne (EDT) chez les chiens avec une histopathologie clinique confirmée de MEG. Onze chiens ont été sélectionnés pour cette étude. Les constatations échographiques en mode-B ont démontré une échogénécité diffuse réduite du parenchyme du cerveau chez 9 chiens, une ventriculomégalie chez 8 chiens, une atrophie du cerveau chez 4 chiens et des lésions focales hyperéchogènes chez 6 chiens. Une imagerie Doppler en couleur a révélé des vaisseaux plus évidents du cercle artériel chez 10 chiens. L’examen spectral Doppler a été réalisé chez 10 chiens pour détecter les 6 artères cérébrales majeures d’intérêt. L’examen a montré des valeurs d’indice de résistivité (IR) normales et hautes dans les artères indiquées. Les constatations de l’EDT étaient conformes à celles de la pathologie trouvées à l’examen postmortem.(Traduit par Isabelle Vallières).

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Transtemporal window, dorsal plane. Note the lateral symmetrical ventriculomegaly. LLV — left lateral ventricle, RLV — right lateral ventricle (1, 2 — width of lateral ventricles).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Transtemporal window, oblique dorsal plane. Note between the “x” marks, increased echogenicity areas that demonstrate focal lesions. RCH — right cerebral hemisphere, LCH — left cerebral hemisphere.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Transtemporal window, oblique dorsal plane. Note that color Doppler imaging was performed to identify the arterial circle. RCA — rostral cerebral artery, MCA — middle cerebral artery, CCA — caudal cerebral artery, LCH — left cerebral hemisphere.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Transtemporal window, oblique dorsal plane. Note the normal typical Doppler spectral waveform of the Rostral Cerebral Artery: low resistance and high diastolic velocity pattern. PSV — peak systolic velocity, EDV — end diastolic velocity, RI — resistive index, LCH — left cerebral hemisphere.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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