title: Acquired motor neuron loss causing severe pelvic limb contractures in a young cat.
abstract: METHODS
  This report describes a kitten with paraplegia and extensor rigidity of the pelvic limbs associated with motor neuron loss and chronic denervation of skeletal muscle. Persistent skeletal muscle atrophy and degeneration had resulted in immobile stifle and hock joints and severe pelvic limb rigidity consistent with a neurogenic form of arthrogryposis. Both pelvic limbs were equally affected and the kitten showed no signs of pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Electromyography identified spontaneous activity in the pelvic limbs. Muscle and peripheral nerve biopsies showed pathology consistent with denervation. On necropsy, 3 weeks after admittance, severe degenerative changes including axonal necrosis and myelin degeneration were confirmed in the lumbar spinal cord.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There are very few descriptions of feline motor neuron degeneration in the literature and obtaining an ante-mortem diagnosis is difficult. Although an inherited disorder cannot be ruled out, a condition acquired congenitally in utero or postnatally was suspected in this case.
authors.affiliation: Albano Small Animal Hospital, Rinkebyvägen 23, SE-182 36 Danderyd, Sweden. cecilia.rohdin@uds.slu.se
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rohdin
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Karlstam
authors.forename: Karin Hultin
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Jäderlund
authors.forename: G Diane
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Shelton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D002415:Cats; D004576:Electromyography / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D009046:Motor Neurons; D009134:Muscular Atrophy, Spinal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D009431:Neural Conduction; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology