Ataxia, Spinal
Differential Diagnosis
| Common Causes | Major Diagnostic Tests |
|---|---|
| Cervical compressive myelopathy | Cervical radiography, myelogram |
| Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis | Western blot, IFAT |
| Equine herpesvirus-1 myeloencephalopathy | PCR, titers, virus isolation |
| West Nile encephalitis | IgM capture ELISA, PRNT |
| Trauma | Radiography, nuclear scintigraphy, ultrasound, MRI, CT, CSF analysis |
| Equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy | Rule out other causes, serum vitamin E levels |
| Neoplasia | CSF analysis, rule out other causes |
| Rabies | Rule out other causes Postmortem FA testing of brain |
| Less Common Causes | |
| Eastern and Western equine encephalitis | ELISA, titers, virus isolation |
| Occipitoatlantoaxial malformation | Age, breed, radiographs |
| Vertebral osteomyelitis, diskospondylitis, spinal abscess | CSF analysis, culture, radiography, nuclear scintigraphy |
| Diskospondylosis | Radiography, nuclear scintigraphy Rule out bacterial diskospondylitis |
| Cervical vertebral spinal hematoma, intervertebral disk disease | Radiographs, myelogram, CT, rule out other causes |
| Synovial cyst, arachnoid cyst | Radiographs, myelography, CT, MRI |
| Verminous meningoencephalitis Strongylus vulgaris Halicephalobus gingivalis Setaria spp. Draschia megastoma Others | Rule out other causes CSF (eosinophilic leukocytosis supportive) CBC (eosinophilia supportive) |
| Equine infectious anemia | Coggins test (agar gel immunodiffusion), ELISA |
| Aortic-iliac thrombosis | Rectal palpation |
| Cauda equina neuritis or Polyneuritis equi | Rule out other causes |
| Toxic Agents | |
| Stinging nettles Ivermectin, moxidectin Ionophores Moldy corn Locoism Sorghum, rye grass, dallis grass Heavy metals (lead, arsenic) Crotalaria Fluphenazine Propylene glycol | |
CBC, complete blood count; CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; CT, computed tomography; ELISA, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; FA, fluorescent antibody; IFAT, indirect fluorescent antibody test; IgM, immunoglobulin M; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; PRNT, plaque reduction neutralization test.
From Seino KK: Spinal ataxia. In Reed SM, Bayly WM, Sellon DC (eds). Equine Internal Medicine, ed 3. St Louis, 2010, Saunders, 135–138.
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