MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING FINDINGS IN SMALL RUMINANTS WITH BRAIN DISEASE

Brain disease is an important cause of neurologic deficits in small ruminants, however few MRI features have been described. The aim of this retrospective, case series study was to describe MRI characteristics in a group of small ruminants with confirmed brain disease. A total of nine small ruminants (six sheep and three goats) met inclusion criteria. All had neurologic disorders localized to the brain and histopathologic confirmation. In animals with toxic-metabolic diseases, there were bilaterally symmetric MRI lesions affecting either the gray matter (one animal with polioencephalomalacia) or the white matter (two animals with enterotoxemia). In animals with suppurative inflammation, asymmetric focal brainstem lesions were present (two animals with listeric encephalitis), or lesions typical of an intra-axial (one animal) or dural abscess (one animal), respectively. No MRI lesions were detected in one animal with suspected viral cerebellitis and one animal with parasitic migration tracts. No neoplastic or vascular lesions were identified in this case series. Findings from the current study supported the use of MRI for diagnosing brain diseases in small ruminants.