Acquired motor neuron loss causing severe pelvic limb contractures in a young cat.
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.
Rohdin
Cecilia
C
Albano Small Animal Hospital, Rinkebyvägen 23, SE-182 36 Danderyd, Sweden. cecilia.rohdin@uds.slu.se
Karlstam
Erika
E
Jäderlund
Karin Hultin
KH
Shelton
G Diane
GD
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