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Calcium phosphate deposition disease in great danes
Veterinary Pathology
|September 1, 1982
Summary
A novel clinicopathologic syndrome in Great Dane dogs causes paraplegia in puppies due to spinal cord constriction. This condition involves abnormal mineral deposition, resembling a human childhood disease but with different mineral compositions.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Pathology
- Canine Genetics
- Mineral Metabolism Disorders
Background:
- A familial clinicopathologic syndrome in young Great Dane dogs presents with neurological deficits.
- The condition shares similarities with the childhood variant of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate deposit disease in humans.
Observation:
- Clinical signs include paraplegia and incoordination in puppies, stemming from posterior cervical spinal cord constriction.
- Radiographic and post-mortem examinations reveal canal stenosis due to vertebral displacement and articular process deformation.
- Mineral deposition is observed in diarthrodial joints of the axial and appendicular skeleton, along with soft tissues.
Findings:
- Unlike the human counterpart, mineral deposits in affected dogs consist of amorphous calcium phosphate or hydroxyapatite, not pyrophosphate.
- Periarticular mineralization is associated with skeletal abnormalities: shorter bones, thin cortices, abnormal curvature, and altered medullary trabeculae.
- Growth plate abnormalities with focal cartilage calcification and decreased serum phosphorus concentrations are noted.
Implications:
- This study identifies a potentially new, heritable disorder in Great Danes with unique mineral deposition characteristics.
- Understanding this syndrome can inform veterinary diagnostics and genetic counseling for affected canine populations.
- The findings may offer insights into skeletal and soft tissue mineralization disorders in both veterinary and human medicine.