Central Nervous System - Vascular Pathology

• Vascular pathology if the CNS is less common in animals than in humans.
• Pathologies include:
  • Thrombosis
  • Infarction
  • Haemorrhage
• These can occur:
  • Spontaneously
  • Secondary to drug therapy
  • E.g. L-asparaginase or anti-coagulants.
  • With thrombocytopaenia or other bleeding disorders
  • With trauma
  • With hypertension
  • With atherosclerosis from hypothyroidism
  • With infection
    • I.e. septic emboli.
• MRI and CT may detect haemorrhage and infaction.

Hypertension Related Brain Haemorrhage

• Not uncommon in geriatric cats.
  • Hypertension is defined as a systolic pressure greater than 175mmHg.
• The systemic hypertension may be:
  • Primary
  • Secondary to:
    • Hyperthyroidism
    • Chronic renal failure
    • Diabetes mellitus
    • Acromegaly
    • Chronic severe anaemia
    • Hyperadrenocorticism
    • Hyperaldosternism
    • Phaeochromocytoma.
• For this reason, cats presenting with forebrain disease should first have their blood pressure checked.
  • If raised, this should be treated before further investigation takes place.