Hipoplasia prosencefálica em um caprino.

Abstract

Malformations in animals are characterized by structural and or functional abnormalities of systems, tissues or organs. Among them, prosencephalic hypoplasia stands out, an anomaly incompatible with life, resulting from the abnormal closure of the rostral portion of the neural tube. This malformation is unlikely to have its cause determined, as there are countless infectious, genetic and toxic agents that can cause congenital abnormalities in the central nervous system (CNS). The objective is to report a case of prosencephalic hypoplasia in a mestizo goat, male, approximately three days old, sent to the Veterinary Pathology Laboratory of the Federal University of Paraíba, which is characterized by the absence of the rostral brain portion, with the brain stem preserved in diferente degrees. Macroscopically it was observed that the animal had a cranial malformation characterized as a flattening in the region of temporal, parietal and occipital bonés, and that the brain had telencephalic hypoplasia, absence of cranial and caudal colliculus and brain peduncles (midbrain). Anatomical malformations in the CNS are caused by defects in the closure of the neural tube at sites I to IV, among them prosencephalic hypoplasia. In many cases of unknow origin, however, some causes are implicated, such as the consumption of toxic plants, genetic alterations, use of medications, infectious agentes and nutritional deficiencies can occur at certain stages of pregnancy, and only a few cases can be proven. It is evident that the skull malformation is secondary to CNS malformation, because the skull development is closely linked to brain development and that the prosencephalic hypoplasia is the genetic defect result or environmental factors, or the interaction of both. Concludes the importance of diagnosing this report of prosencephalic hypoplasia in a goat, despite not knowing the specific cause in this animal.