Abstract
Neurological examination of a 4.5-year-old female neutered labrador retriever was consistent with a lesion in the subcortical visual pathway (mainly affecting the left retina or optic nerve, and less likely...
Highlights
Why you think this case is important – why did you write it up? Obtaining a definitive diagnosis of optic nerve pathology is challenging given the limited access to the optic nerves and the morbidity associated with biopsy
Pupils were moderately dilated and symmetrical in size in room light, but assessment of the pupillary light reflex (PLR) revealed that shining a bright light in the left eye resulted in constriction of neither pupil, while shining a bright light in the right eye resulted in constriction of both pupils
Include a very brief review of similar published cases Ependymomas are tumours arising from the ependymal cells lining the ventricular system
Summary
Why you think this case is important – why did you write it up? Obtaining a definitive diagnosis of optic nerve pathology is challenging given the limited access to the optic nerves and the morbidity associated with biopsy. The following case report describes the clinical findings and outcome of an adult Labrador retriever that presented with neurological deficits consistent with a lesion in the subcortical visual pathway (mainly affecting the left retina or optic nerve, and less likely the optic chiasm or right optic tract). MRI findings lead to a provisional diagnosis of left optic neuritis, progressive clinical deterioration resulted in euthanasia, following which a definitive diagnosis of anaplastic ependymoma was reached via histopathology. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an ependymoma affecting the optic nerve and resulting in a presenting complaint of unilateral blindness. The mild obtundation was suspected to be a result of the anxious demeanour of the dog exacerbated by sudden vision loss, but a central cause could not be excluded
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