[Diagnostic aspects of neurological diseases of cattle. A retrospective study]

188 bovines with neurological disease were analysed in a retrospective study. We found that only few diseases can be diagnosed on the basis of neurologic signs only. However, with a few additional clinical data such as signalment, history, extraneural findings, hematological findings and cerebrospinal fluid analysis, a diagnosis can be made in many cases. A history of neurologic signs occurring since birth, is highly suggestive of a congenital malformation. High fever and mucosal changes are typical for malignant catarrhal fever. Lesions of peripheral nerves and spinal cord compression can be diagnosed based on the neurologic signs. Cranial nerve dysfunction and central vestibular signs in combination with other findings as age, season and cerebrospinal fluid, are indicative of listeriosis. Tetanus is characterized by pronounced extensor rigidity. Systemic muscle diseases were also included, because motor neurons and muscle cells are a functional unit. A suspicion of white muscle disease can be confirmed by increased creatine phosphokinase activity in serum. Suppurative bacterial meningoencephalitis can be diagnosed by the presence of a polymorphonuclear pleocytosis in the cerebrospinal fluid. The clinical differentiation between sporadic non suppurative meningoencephalitis and metabolic diseases of the central nervous system remains difficult.