title: Congenital cerebellar cortical degeneration in Holstein cattle in Southern Brazil.
abstract: A congenital progressive cerebellar disorder is described in Holstein calves. The clinical signs were progressive and were characterized by ataxia, hypermetria, a wide stance and fine head tremors. When the affected cattle were forced to run, the signs were exacerbated, leading to epileptiform attacks. Histological lesions consisted of a very selective cerebellar cortical degeneration, almost exclusively affecting the Purkinje cells. The disease affected 6 out of 200 Holstein calves from the same bull. However, results of mating tests of the bull with his daughters and granddaughters suggested that it was not hereditary (p = 0.0062) although an environmental-genetic interaction could not be ruled out.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Regional de Diagnóstico, Faculdade de Veterinária, UFPel, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Schild
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Riet-Correa
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Portiansky
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Méndez
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Graça
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001259:Ataxia / Q000662:veterinary; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000151:congenital* / Q000473:pathology; D002524:Cerebellar Ataxia / Q000151:congenital / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D002525:Cerebellar Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D002526:Cerebellar Diseases / Q000151:congenital / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000473:pathology