Abstract
ABSTRACT: A three-year-old female African pygmy hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris), born and domiciled in Brazil, presented apathy, prostration, and difficulty to stay standing. Its parents were siblings but did not present clinical signs related to this condition. As its clinical condition worsened, the animal was euthanized and referred for necropsy. No gross lesions were found in the central nervous system (CNS). Histologically, there was vacuolation with axonal degeneration in the white matter of the CNS and in peripheral nervous tissue. The Kluver-Barrera (KB) stain confirmed demyelination in vacuolated areas. Immunohistochemistry using several neural markers confirmed astrocytosis and microgliosis associated with vacuolated areas. In addition, there was a mild decrease in the immuno intensity of myelin proteolipid protein (PLP) in these areas. These results suggest a genetic origin of the present demyelination, which resulted in the wobbly syndrome described in this report.
Highlights
RESUMO: Um ouriço pigmeu africano de três anos de idade, nascido e domiciliado no Brasil, apresentou apatia, prostração e dificuldade em permanecer em estação
The African pygmy hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris) is a mammal whose back is covered with thorns and originates from the African continent
A moderate to marked status spongiosus of the nervous tissue was present in the central nervous system (CNS) with a bilateral and symmetrical pattern affecting mainly the white matter
Summary
RESUMO: Um ouriço pigmeu africano de três anos de idade, nascido e domiciliado no Brasil, apresentou apatia, prostração e dificuldade em permanecer em estação. Vacuolation in the white matter of the brain and the spinal cord as well as demyelination and axonal degeneration have been described. The clinical, histopathological and immunohistochemical findings of WS in an African pygmy hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris) are described in this report.
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