Hydrocephalus in dogs: a review

Hydrocephalus is a multifactoral disorder that was rarely diagnosed in dogs until the availability of advanced imaging techniques in veterinary practice. This article reviews recent advances in the understanding of canine hydrocephalus including pathogenesis, clinical symptoms, diagnostic methods, and treatment solutions. The advantages and disadvantages of USG, RTG, CT and MRI as advanced diagnostic methods are discussed. For now Low-field Magnetic Resonance Imaging is the most useful tool in investigating hydrocephalus. The recommended sequences for MRI are T1-weighting images Spin echo, Field echo 3D with TR 380-750 ms, TE 12-25 ms, slice thickness 1-6 mm and with an interslice gap of 0-2 mm. The evaluation of cerebral ventricular system morphol- ogy in obtained MRI scans involves measuring the height, area and volume of the brain and lateral ventricles. The results are classified as normal state if the ratio of ventricular height to the brain height is above 14%, the ratio of ventricular area to the brain area amounts to above 7%, and the ventricular to brain volume ratio is above 5%. However, there are still problems relating to inter- and intrabreed comparison among examined dogs. Treatment solutions in hydrocephalus are also discussed in this review. The medical treatment of hydrocephalus aims to decrease CSF production and is based on using acetazolamide, furosemide and prednisone. Surgical management aims to place the ventriculoperitoneal shunt for CSF flow control. Postsurgical complications are also described in this review.

• Publication year

  2018

• Venue

  Veterinarni Medicina

• Publication date

  2018-02-11

• Fields of study

  Medicine

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.17221/6698-VETMED
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• Quantitative analysis of hydrocephalic ventricular alterations in Yorkshire terriers using magnetic resonance imaging.

  2018influential reference
• Low-field magnetic resonance imaging of canine hydrocephalus.

  2012cited by this paper
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging as a Useful Tool for the Selection of Pharmacological and Surgical Treatment Options for Canine Hydrocephalus

  2012cited by this paper
• Imaging diagnosis--Ventriculo-peritoneal shunt associated infection in a dog.

  2012influential reference
• Growth of clinical veterinary magnetic resonance imaging.

  2011cited by this paper
• Optimal magnetic resonance imaging of the brain.

  2011influential reference
• Treatment of hydrocephalus with ventriculoperitoneal shunting in twelve dogs.

  2011influential reference
• Magnetic resonance imaging of intracranial malformations in dogs and cats.

  2011cited by this paper
• Correlating magnetic resonance findings with neuropathology and clinical signs in dogs and cats.

  2011cited by this paper
• Pros and cons of low-field magnetic resonance imaging in veterinary practice.

  2011cited by this paper
• Hydrocephalus in dogs and cats.

  2010influential reference
• Cerebrospinal fluid absorption disorder of arachnoid villi in a canine model of hydrocephalus.

  2010influential reference
• Magnetic resonance imaging of the canine brain at 3 and 7 T.

  2010cited by this paper
• Normal canine brain maturation at magnetic resonance imaging.

  2010cited by this paper
• MRI of brain disease in veterinary patients part 1: Basic principles and congenital brain disorders.

  2010influential reference
• Magnetic resonance imaging of the canine brain at 7 T.

  2009cited by this paper
• Computed tomography in small animals--basic principles and state of the art applications.

  2007cited by this paper
• Subdural accumulation of fluid in a dog after the insertion of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt

  2005cited by this paper
• Comparative evaluation of the ventricles in the Yorkshire Terrier and the German Shepherd dog using low-field MRI.

  2001influential reference
• Nonneoplastic disorders of the brain

  1999influential reference
• A canine model of acute hydrocephalus with MR correlation.

  1998influential reference
• Acute hydrocephalus after subarachnoid hemorrhage.

  1998cited by this paper
• Developmental change of lateral ventricular volume and ratio in Beagle-type dogs up to 7 months of age.

  1998cited by this paper
• Recent advances in the understanding and treatment of hydrocephalus.

  1997influential reference
• Magnetic resonance imaging of the lateral ventricles in beagle-type dogs.

  1997influential reference
• Diagnosis of cerebral ventriculomegaly in normal adult beagles using quantitative MRI.

  1997influential reference
• Quantification of cerebral ventricular volume in English bulldogs.

  1997influential reference
• CANINE BRAIN ANATOMY ON MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGES

  1989cited by this paper
• Ultrasound evaluation of experimental hydrocephalus in dogs.

  1984cited by this paper

• Post feline infectious peritonitis progressive hydrocephalus: a case series

  2025cites this paper
• Phase‐Contrast Magnetic Resonance Imaging Identifies Low Cerebrospinal Fluid Velocity at the Foramen Magnum in Small Breed Dogs With an Enlarged Ventricular System

  2025cites this paper
• Imaging Diagnosis of Hydrocephalus in a Fox Cub-Case Study

  2025cites this paper
• Morphometric analysis of ventricular indexes and intracranial cerebrospinal fluid spaces in the brain using magnetic resonance imaging healthy in Van cats

  2025cites this paper
• Ventriculoperitoneal Shunting for Brain Tumors.

  2024cites this paper
• A quadrigeminal arachnoid cyst as a cause of neurological symptoms in an 11-month-old Brussels Griffon – A case study

  2023cites this paper
• Prevalence of seizures in dogs and cats with idiopathic internal hydrocephalus and seizure prevalence after implantation of a ventriculo‐peritoneal shunt

  2020cites this paper
• Diagnosis and treatment of internal hydrocephalus in dogs in relation to our own observations

  2020cites this paper
• Quantification of cerebrospinal fluid flow in dogs by cardiac‐gated phase‐contrast magnetic resonance imaging

  2020cites this paper
• Isoflurane maintenance of neuroanaesthesia in two dogs with hydrocephalus and syringohydromyelia undergoing ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery

  2020cites this paper
• Post-traumatic hydrocephalus in a dog

  2018cites this paper
• Diagnosis of cerebral ventriculomegaly in felines using 0.25 Tesla and 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging

  2018cites this paper
• Clinical presentation and magnetic resonance imaging findings in a juvenile dog with unilateral hydrocephalus and presumed periventricular encephalitis

  2017cites this paper
• Comparison of Feline Brain Anatomy in 0.25 and 3 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Images

  2017cites this paper
• Quantification of cerebral lateral ventricular volume in cats by low- and high-field MRI

  2017cites this paper
• Hidrocefalia en un paciente canino : reporte de un caso

  2016cites this paper
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Reptiles, Rodents, and Lagomorphs for Clinical Diagnosis and Animal Research.

  2016cites this paper