Gas bubble disease in the brain of a living California sea lion (Zalophus californianus)
A yearling California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) was admitted into rehabilitation with signs of cerebellar pathology. Diagnostic imaging that included radiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated space-occupying lesions predominantly in the cerebellum that were filled partial...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2013-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Physiology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fphys.2013.00005/full |
| _version_ | 1819146451886800896 |
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| author | William George Van Bonn Sophie eDennison Sophie eDennison Peter eCook Andreas eFahlman |
| author_facet | William George Van Bonn Sophie eDennison Sophie eDennison Peter eCook Andreas eFahlman |
| author_sort | William George Van Bonn |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A yearling California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) was admitted into rehabilitation with signs of cerebellar pathology. Diagnostic imaging that included radiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated space-occupying lesions predominantly in the cerebellum that were filled partially by CSF-like fluid and partially by gas, and cerebral lesions that were fluid filled. Over a maximum period of four months, the brain lesions reduced in size and the gas resorbed and was replaced by CSF-like fluid. To test the animal in this study for motor memory deficits, an alternation task in a two-choice maze was utilized. The sea lion performed poorly similar to another case of pneumocerebellum previously reported, and contrary to data acquired from a group of sea lions with specific hippocampal injury. The learning deficits were attributed to the cerebellar injury. These data provide important insight both to the clinical presentation and behavioral observations of cerebellar injury in sea lions, as well as providing an initial model for long-term outcome following cerebellar injury. The specific etiology of the gas could not be determined. The live status of the patient with recovery suggests that the most likely etiologies for the gas are either de novo formation or air emboli secondary to trauma. A small air gun pellet was present within and was removed from soft tissues adjacent to the tympanic bulla. While no evidence to support the pellet striking bone was found, altered dive pattern associated with this human interaction may have provided the opportunity for gas bubble formation to occur. The similarity in distribution of the gas bubble related lesions in this case compared with another previously published case of pneumocerebellum suggests that preferential perfusion of the brain, and more specifically the cerebellum, may occur during diving events. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T13:14:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2c56f5e0632e40d9b71c17fb688efbe7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-042X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T13:14:08Z |
| publishDate | 2013-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Physiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-2c56f5e0632e40d9b71c17fb688efbe72022-12-21T18:24:39ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Physiology1664-042X2013-01-01410.3389/fphys.2013.0000538018Gas bubble disease in the brain of a living California sea lion (Zalophus californianus)William George Van Bonn0Sophie eDennison1Sophie eDennison2Peter eCook3Andreas eFahlman4The Marine Mammal CenterAnimal ScanAnimal Internal Medicine and Specialty ServicesUniversity of California at Santa CruzTexas A&M University- Corpus ChristiA yearling California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) was admitted into rehabilitation with signs of cerebellar pathology. Diagnostic imaging that included radiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated space-occupying lesions predominantly in the cerebellum that were filled partially by CSF-like fluid and partially by gas, and cerebral lesions that were fluid filled. Over a maximum period of four months, the brain lesions reduced in size and the gas resorbed and was replaced by CSF-like fluid. To test the animal in this study for motor memory deficits, an alternation task in a two-choice maze was utilized. The sea lion performed poorly similar to another case of pneumocerebellum previously reported, and contrary to data acquired from a group of sea lions with specific hippocampal injury. The learning deficits were attributed to the cerebellar injury. These data provide important insight both to the clinical presentation and behavioral observations of cerebellar injury in sea lions, as well as providing an initial model for long-term outcome following cerebellar injury. The specific etiology of the gas could not be determined. The live status of the patient with recovery suggests that the most likely etiologies for the gas are either de novo formation or air emboli secondary to trauma. A small air gun pellet was present within and was removed from soft tissues adjacent to the tympanic bulla. While no evidence to support the pellet striking bone was found, altered dive pattern associated with this human interaction may have provided the opportunity for gas bubble formation to occur. The similarity in distribution of the gas bubble related lesions in this case compared with another previously published case of pneumocerebellum suggests that preferential perfusion of the brain, and more specifically the cerebellum, may occur during diving events.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fphys.2013.00005/fullVeterinary Medicinebrain MRIDiving mammalsZalophusgas bubble disease |
| spellingShingle | William George Van Bonn Sophie eDennison Sophie eDennison Peter eCook Andreas eFahlman Gas bubble disease in the brain of a living California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) Frontiers in Physiology Veterinary Medicine brain MRI Diving mammals Zalophus gas bubble disease |
| title | Gas bubble disease in the brain of a living California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) |
| title_full | Gas bubble disease in the brain of a living California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) |
| title_fullStr | Gas bubble disease in the brain of a living California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gas bubble disease in the brain of a living California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) |
| title_short | Gas bubble disease in the brain of a living California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) |
| title_sort | gas bubble disease in the brain of a living california sea lion zalophus californianus |
| topic | Veterinary Medicine brain MRI Diving mammals Zalophus gas bubble disease |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fphys.2013.00005/full |
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