Equine laryngeal hemiplegia part V. central nervous system pathology

Abstract

Evidence of long central nerve fibre degeneration (axonal spheroids) in the lateral cuneate nuclei was found in all eight thoroughbreds affected clinically and subclinically with equine laryngeal hemiplegia, but in only one of six control animals. It was considered that these spheroids may signify a central nervous component of the disease process of laryngeal hemiplegia although until further investigations are performed no firm conclusions regarding the relationship of these findings with laryngeal hemiplegia could be made. Examination of the left and right nucleus ambiguus of clinical and subclinical laryngeal hemiplegic horses revealed no pathological alterations.