Equine Orthopaedics and Rheumatology Q&A 06

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A grey pony mare, born and bred in England, presented for a problem of the hindquarters. The pony was not particularly lame and had no history of lameness.

Question	Answer		Article
What abnormality is present?	There is marked atrophy of the gluteal muscles on the left hindlimb.		Link to Article
What is the likely cause, and might it have been different if the animal had spent time in the USA.	Muscle wastage as a result of disuse can be ruled out given the lack of a history of lameness. Therefore, the problem must relate to denervation. Trauma is unlikely, suggesting a systemic problem. This is a slightly unusual case of polyneuritis equi (cauda equina neuritis). In the USA, equine protozoal myeloencephalitis would have to be considered in such a case of focal neurogenic atrophy.		Link to Article
What test is helpful in confirming this problem?	An ELISA has been developed to measure the increase in circulating antibodies to P2-myelin protein seen in cauda equina neuritis.		[[ELISA testing |Link to Article]]