Rodolfo Cappello - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Rodolfo Cappello

Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine

Background: Orthostatic tremor (OT) is a rare movement disorder characterized by high-frequency (... more Background: Orthostatic tremor (OT) is a rare movement disorder characterized by high-frequency (>12 Hz) involuntary, rhythmic, sinusoidal movements affecting predominantly the limbs while standing. Objective: To describe the signalment, presenting complaints, phenotype, diagnostic findings, treatment, and outcome of a large sample of dogs with OT. Animals: Sixty dogs diagnosed with OT based on conscious electromyography. Methods: Multicenter retrospective case series study. Dogs were included if they had a conscious electromyography consistent with muscle discharge frequency >12 Hz while standing.

BSAVA Congress Proceedings 2019, Apr 1, 2019

Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine

Background: The intranasal (IN) route for rapid drug administration in patients with brain disord... more Background: The intranasal (IN) route for rapid drug administration in patients with brain disorders, including status epilepticus, has been investigated. Status epilepticus is an emergency, and the IN route offers a valuable alternative to other routes, especially when these fail. Objectives: To compare IN versus IV midazolam (MDZ) at the same dosage (0.2 mg/kg) for controlling status epilepticus in dogs.

Veterinary and comparative orthopaedics and traumatology : V.C.O.T, 2018

This case series describes the clinical presentation, management and outcome of three cats diagn... more This case series describes the clinical presentation, management and outcome of three cats diagnosed with cervical intervertebral disc disease that underwent decompressive ventral slot surgery. This is a retrospective case series evaluating client-owned cats undergoing a ventral slot surgical procedure to manage cervical intervertebral disc disease (n = 3). A routine ventral slot surgery was performed in each case without complication, resulting in postoperative neurological improvement in all three cases. Ventral slot surgery can be used to achieve effective cervical spinal cord decompression with a good long-term outcome in the management of feline cervical intervertebral disc herniation. To avoid creating an excessively wide slot with the potential for postoperative complications including vertebral sinus haemorrhage, vertebral instability or ventral slot collapse, careful surgical planning was performed with preoperative measurement of the desired maximum slot dimensions.

Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine

Background: Although thoracic hemivertebra can cause neurological signs, they occur commonly in n... more Background: Although thoracic hemivertebra can cause neurological signs, they occur commonly in neurologically normal dogs. Objectives: To evaluate whether computed tomography (CT) findings and factors associated with signalment can be used to differentiate between dogs with and without neurological signs associated with hemivertebra. Animals: One hundred sixty dogs with ≥1 hemivertebrae were retrospectively studied. This group consisted of 40 dogs with clinical signs caused by hemivertebra and 40 French Bulldogs, 40 Pugs, and 40 English Bulldogs that underwent CT for reasons unrelated to neurological disease. Methods: All dogs underwent CT and affected dogs also underwent magnetic resonance imaging. All CT studies were randomly evaluated by an observer blinded to signalment and clinical status. The following variables were evaluated: presence, number, location, and subtype of hemivertebra; presence of vertebral subluxation; severity of vertebral canal stenosis; presence, location, and severity of kyphosis, and number of vertebrae involved in the kyphotic segment. Statistical modeling was performed to identify factors associated with clinical status. Results: Pug breed (odds ration [OR], 10.8; P = .01), more severe kyphosis (OR, 1.1 per grade increase; P < .001), fewer instead of more observed hemivertebrae (OR, 0.8; P = 0.03), and ventrolateral hypoplasia hemivertebra subtype (OR, 4.0; P = .011) were associated with higher likelihood of neurological disease. A Cobb angle of 34.5 degrees corresponded with the highest combined sensitivity and specificity to differentiate between clinically affected and unaffected dogs.

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Mar 1, 2001

To determine results of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in dogs with vestibular disorders (VD) an... more To determine results of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in dogs with vestibular disorders (VD) and correlate results of MR imaging with clinical findings. Retrospective study. 85 dogs. Information on signalment, clinical signs, and presumptive lesion location was obtained from the medical records, and MR images were reviewed. 27 dogs had peripheral VD, 37 had central VD, and 21 had paradoxical VD. Of the 27 dogs with peripheral VD, 11 (41%) had MR imaging abnormalities involving the ipsilateral tympanic bulla compatible with otitis media (6 also had abnormalities involving the petrous portion of the ipsilateral temporal bone compatible with otitis interna), 7 (26%) had MR imaging abnormalities compatible with middle ear neoplasia, 2(7%) had an ipsilateral cerebellopontine angle lesion, and 7 (26%) did not have MR imaging abnormalities. All dogs with central and paradoxical VD had abnormalities evident on MR images. Of the 37 dogs with central VD, 13 (35%) had an extra-axial lesion, 6 (16%) had an intra-axial lesion, and 18 (49%) had multiple intra-axial lesions. In 23 (62%) dogs with central VD, lesions on MR images corresponded with location suspected on the basis of clinical signs. Of the 21 dogs with paradoxical VD, 12 (57%) had an extra-axial lesion, 5 (24%) had an intra-axial lesion, and 4 (19%) had multiple intra-axial lesions. Location of lesions on MR images agreed with location suspected on the basis of clinical signs in 19 (90%) dogs. Results suggest that MR imaging may be helpful in the diagnosis and treatment of VD in dogs.

Fifteen English cocker spaniels with confirmed vitamin E deficiency were examined physically, oph... more Fifteen English cocker spaniels with confirmed vitamin E deficiency were examined physically, ophthalmologically and neurologically. Eleven of them had clinical signs of neurological dysfunction which included ataxia, proprioceptive deficits, abnormal spinal reflexes and muscle weakness. In the two dogs examined histopathologically there was central neuronal fibre degeneration with prominent neuroaxonal dystrophy, particularly within the sensory relay nuclei of the brainstem,

The Veterinary record

Fifteen English cocker spaniels with confirmed vitamin E deficiency were examined physically, oph... more Fifteen English cocker spaniels with confirmed vitamin E deficiency were examined physically, ophthalmologically and neurologically. Eleven of them had clinical signs of neurological dysfunction which included ataxia, proprioceptive deficits, abnormal spinal reflexes and muscle weakness. In the two dogs examined histopathologically there was central neuronal fibre degeneration with prominent neuroaxonal dystrophy, particularly within the sensory relay nuclei of the brainstem, and one of the dogs had severe intestinal lipofuscinosis.

Spine, Jan 15, 2006

Analysis of proteoglycan synthesis, distribution and assembly of notochordal cells and small nucl... more Analysis of proteoglycan synthesis, distribution and assembly of notochordal cells and small nucleus pulposus cells embedded in alginate beads and cultured in presence of [S]-Na2SO4. To determine whether the degeneration of the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc is associated with a change in the cell phenotype. The loss of the notochordal cell from the nucleus pulposus is associated with ageing and disc degeneration. The reduction in their numbers after birth in humans and in the chondrodystrophoid dog has been suggested to result from cell death and replacement or differentiation by chondrocytes. The almost total disappearance of the notochordal cells in the nucleus pulposus correlates with early degenerative changes in the disc and a concomitant reduction in proteoglycan content, increased collagen, and loss of water content. The basic mechanism of this accelerated degeneration with ageing is poorly understood. Nucleus pulposus and anulus fibrosus cells were isolated fro...

The Veterinary record, Jan 3, 2005

This information is being used in a study on the molecular basis of canine epilepsies, funded by ... more This information is being used in a study on the molecular basis of canine epilepsies, funded by the American Kennel Club. The study is based on the hypothesis that the genetic basis of canine epilepsies may be similar to genetic epilepsies that have recently been identified ...

The Veterinary Journal, 2006

Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound, 2007

A 6-year-old neutered male Rottweiler had chronic episodic signs of thoracolumbar pain and inabil... more A 6-year-old neutered male Rottweiler had chronic episodic signs of thoracolumbar pain and inability to stand that did not improve after rest and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory medication. In magnetic resonance images, an extradural mass was identified between the spinal cord and the T13/L1 intervertebral disc; the mass was compressing the cord in a dorsoventral direction. The lesion had a low signal intensity rim that enhanced slightly after gadolinium administration, and contents with similar signal intensity to cerebrospinal fluid. The lesion was removed surgically by severing its attachments to the annulus fibrosus. The histologic diagnosis was degenerative intraspinal cyst. The origin of such cysts, and their relationship to synovial and ganglion cysts is discussed.

Veterinary Radiology <html_ent glyph="@amp;" ascii="&"/> Ultrasound, 2005

The aim of this study was to identify magnetic resonance (MR) signs that aid differentiation of n... more The aim of this study was to identify magnetic resonance (MR) signs that aid differentiation of neoplastic vs. non-neoplastic brain diseases in dogs and cats. MR images of 36 dogs and 13 cats with histologic diagnosis of intracranial disease were reviewed retrospectively. Diagnoses included 30 primary and three metastatic brain tumors, 11 infectious/inflammatory lesions, three vascular, one degenerative disease, and one developmental malformation. Upon univariate analysis of 21 MR signs, there were seven that had a significant association with neoplasia: single lesion (P ¼ 0.004), shape (P ¼ 0.015), mass effect (P ¼ 0.002), dural contact (P ¼ 0.04), dural tail (P ¼ 0.005), lesions affecting adjacent bone (P ¼ 0.008), and contrast enhancement (P ¼ 0.025). Increasing age was also found to be associated with neoplasia (P ¼ 0.0001). MR signs of non-neoplastic brain diseases in dogs and cats were more variable than those of brain neoplasia.

Veterinary Radiology <html_ent glyph="@amp;" ascii="&"/> Ultrasound, 2005

To describe the signs that may be associated with intracranial inflammatory conditions, magnetic ... more To describe the signs that may be associated with intracranial inflammatory conditions, magnetic resonance (MR) images of 25 dogs that had inflammatory cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were mixed with those of a control group of 40 dogs that had CSF negative for inflammatory disease and reviewed without knowledge of the clinical signs or diagnosis. CSF was considered inflammatory if the protein level was 40.25 g/l and the white cell count was 45 mm À3 . Abnormalities were found by MR imaging in 19 (76%) dogs with inflammatory CSF. Two dogs had focal lesions, 10 had multifocal lesions, and seven had diffuse lesions. Lesions affected all divisions of the brain. Mass effect was identified in seven (28%) dogs, including one that had a choroid plexus carcinoma. Lesions were hyperintense in T2-weighted images in 18 dogs and hypointense in T1-weighted images in six dogs. Multifocal or diffuse intraaxial lesions that were hyperintense in T2-weighted images were observed in 17 (68%) dogs with inflammatory CSF. Administration of gadolinium resulted in enhancement of intraaxial lesions in nine (36%) dogs and enhancement of meninges in seven (28%) dogs. Six (24%) dogs with inflammatory CSF had images interpreted as normal.

Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine

Background: Orthostatic tremor (OT) is a rare movement disorder characterized by high-frequency (... more Background: Orthostatic tremor (OT) is a rare movement disorder characterized by high-frequency (&gt;12 Hz) involuntary, rhythmic, sinusoidal movements affecting predominantly the limbs while standing. Objective: To describe the signalment, presenting complaints, phenotype, diagnostic findings, treatment, and outcome of a large sample of dogs with OT. Animals: Sixty dogs diagnosed with OT based on conscious electromyography. Methods: Multicenter retrospective case series study. Dogs were included if they had a conscious electromyography consistent with muscle discharge frequency &gt;12 Hz while standing.

BSAVA Congress Proceedings 2019, Apr 1, 2019

Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine

Background: The intranasal (IN) route for rapid drug administration in patients with brain disord... more Background: The intranasal (IN) route for rapid drug administration in patients with brain disorders, including status epilepticus, has been investigated. Status epilepticus is an emergency, and the IN route offers a valuable alternative to other routes, especially when these fail. Objectives: To compare IN versus IV midazolam (MDZ) at the same dosage (0.2 mg/kg) for controlling status epilepticus in dogs.

Veterinary and comparative orthopaedics and traumatology : V.C.O.T, 2018

This case series describes the clinical presentation, management and outcome of three cats diagn... more This case series describes the clinical presentation, management and outcome of three cats diagnosed with cervical intervertebral disc disease that underwent decompressive ventral slot surgery. This is a retrospective case series evaluating client-owned cats undergoing a ventral slot surgical procedure to manage cervical intervertebral disc disease (n = 3). A routine ventral slot surgery was performed in each case without complication, resulting in postoperative neurological improvement in all three cases. Ventral slot surgery can be used to achieve effective cervical spinal cord decompression with a good long-term outcome in the management of feline cervical intervertebral disc herniation. To avoid creating an excessively wide slot with the potential for postoperative complications including vertebral sinus haemorrhage, vertebral instability or ventral slot collapse, careful surgical planning was performed with preoperative measurement of the desired maximum slot dimensions.

Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine

Background: Although thoracic hemivertebra can cause neurological signs, they occur commonly in n... more Background: Although thoracic hemivertebra can cause neurological signs, they occur commonly in neurologically normal dogs. Objectives: To evaluate whether computed tomography (CT) findings and factors associated with signalment can be used to differentiate between dogs with and without neurological signs associated with hemivertebra. Animals: One hundred sixty dogs with ≥1 hemivertebrae were retrospectively studied. This group consisted of 40 dogs with clinical signs caused by hemivertebra and 40 French Bulldogs, 40 Pugs, and 40 English Bulldogs that underwent CT for reasons unrelated to neurological disease. Methods: All dogs underwent CT and affected dogs also underwent magnetic resonance imaging. All CT studies were randomly evaluated by an observer blinded to signalment and clinical status. The following variables were evaluated: presence, number, location, and subtype of hemivertebra; presence of vertebral subluxation; severity of vertebral canal stenosis; presence, location, and severity of kyphosis, and number of vertebrae involved in the kyphotic segment. Statistical modeling was performed to identify factors associated with clinical status. Results: Pug breed (odds ration [OR], 10.8; P = .01), more severe kyphosis (OR, 1.1 per grade increase; P < .001), fewer instead of more observed hemivertebrae (OR, 0.8; P = 0.03), and ventrolateral hypoplasia hemivertebra subtype (OR, 4.0; P = .011) were associated with higher likelihood of neurological disease. A Cobb angle of 34.5 degrees corresponded with the highest combined sensitivity and specificity to differentiate between clinically affected and unaffected dogs.

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Mar 1, 2001

To determine results of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in dogs with vestibular disorders (VD) an... more To determine results of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in dogs with vestibular disorders (VD) and correlate results of MR imaging with clinical findings. Retrospective study. 85 dogs. Information on signalment, clinical signs, and presumptive lesion location was obtained from the medical records, and MR images were reviewed. 27 dogs had peripheral VD, 37 had central VD, and 21 had paradoxical VD. Of the 27 dogs with peripheral VD, 11 (41%) had MR imaging abnormalities involving the ipsilateral tympanic bulla compatible with otitis media (6 also had abnormalities involving the petrous portion of the ipsilateral temporal bone compatible with otitis interna), 7 (26%) had MR imaging abnormalities compatible with middle ear neoplasia, 2(7%) had an ipsilateral cerebellopontine angle lesion, and 7 (26%) did not have MR imaging abnormalities. All dogs with central and paradoxical VD had abnormalities evident on MR images. Of the 37 dogs with central VD, 13 (35%) had an extra-axial lesion, 6 (16%) had an intra-axial lesion, and 18 (49%) had multiple intra-axial lesions. In 23 (62%) dogs with central VD, lesions on MR images corresponded with location suspected on the basis of clinical signs. Of the 21 dogs with paradoxical VD, 12 (57%) had an extra-axial lesion, 5 (24%) had an intra-axial lesion, and 4 (19%) had multiple intra-axial lesions. Location of lesions on MR images agreed with location suspected on the basis of clinical signs in 19 (90%) dogs. Results suggest that MR imaging may be helpful in the diagnosis and treatment of VD in dogs.

Fifteen English cocker spaniels with confirmed vitamin E deficiency were examined physically, oph... more Fifteen English cocker spaniels with confirmed vitamin E deficiency were examined physically, ophthalmologically and neurologically. Eleven of them had clinical signs of neurological dysfunction which included ataxia, proprioceptive deficits, abnormal spinal reflexes and muscle weakness. In the two dogs examined histopathologically there was central neuronal fibre degeneration with prominent neuroaxonal dystrophy, particularly within the sensory relay nuclei of the brainstem,

The Veterinary record

Fifteen English cocker spaniels with confirmed vitamin E deficiency were examined physically, oph... more Fifteen English cocker spaniels with confirmed vitamin E deficiency were examined physically, ophthalmologically and neurologically. Eleven of them had clinical signs of neurological dysfunction which included ataxia, proprioceptive deficits, abnormal spinal reflexes and muscle weakness. In the two dogs examined histopathologically there was central neuronal fibre degeneration with prominent neuroaxonal dystrophy, particularly within the sensory relay nuclei of the brainstem, and one of the dogs had severe intestinal lipofuscinosis.

Spine, Jan 15, 2006

Analysis of proteoglycan synthesis, distribution and assembly of notochordal cells and small nucl... more Analysis of proteoglycan synthesis, distribution and assembly of notochordal cells and small nucleus pulposus cells embedded in alginate beads and cultured in presence of [S]-Na2SO4. To determine whether the degeneration of the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc is associated with a change in the cell phenotype. The loss of the notochordal cell from the nucleus pulposus is associated with ageing and disc degeneration. The reduction in their numbers after birth in humans and in the chondrodystrophoid dog has been suggested to result from cell death and replacement or differentiation by chondrocytes. The almost total disappearance of the notochordal cells in the nucleus pulposus correlates with early degenerative changes in the disc and a concomitant reduction in proteoglycan content, increased collagen, and loss of water content. The basic mechanism of this accelerated degeneration with ageing is poorly understood. Nucleus pulposus and anulus fibrosus cells were isolated fro...

The Veterinary record, Jan 3, 2005

This information is being used in a study on the molecular basis of canine epilepsies, funded by ... more This information is being used in a study on the molecular basis of canine epilepsies, funded by the American Kennel Club. The study is based on the hypothesis that the genetic basis of canine epilepsies may be similar to genetic epilepsies that have recently been identified ...

The Veterinary Journal, 2006

Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound, 2007

A 6-year-old neutered male Rottweiler had chronic episodic signs of thoracolumbar pain and inabil... more A 6-year-old neutered male Rottweiler had chronic episodic signs of thoracolumbar pain and inability to stand that did not improve after rest and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory medication. In magnetic resonance images, an extradural mass was identified between the spinal cord and the T13/L1 intervertebral disc; the mass was compressing the cord in a dorsoventral direction. The lesion had a low signal intensity rim that enhanced slightly after gadolinium administration, and contents with similar signal intensity to cerebrospinal fluid. The lesion was removed surgically by severing its attachments to the annulus fibrosus. The histologic diagnosis was degenerative intraspinal cyst. The origin of such cysts, and their relationship to synovial and ganglion cysts is discussed.

Veterinary Radiology <html_ent glyph="@amp;" ascii="&"/> Ultrasound, 2005

The aim of this study was to identify magnetic resonance (MR) signs that aid differentiation of n... more The aim of this study was to identify magnetic resonance (MR) signs that aid differentiation of neoplastic vs. non-neoplastic brain diseases in dogs and cats. MR images of 36 dogs and 13 cats with histologic diagnosis of intracranial disease were reviewed retrospectively. Diagnoses included 30 primary and three metastatic brain tumors, 11 infectious/inflammatory lesions, three vascular, one degenerative disease, and one developmental malformation. Upon univariate analysis of 21 MR signs, there were seven that had a significant association with neoplasia: single lesion (P ¼ 0.004), shape (P ¼ 0.015), mass effect (P ¼ 0.002), dural contact (P ¼ 0.04), dural tail (P ¼ 0.005), lesions affecting adjacent bone (P ¼ 0.008), and contrast enhancement (P ¼ 0.025). Increasing age was also found to be associated with neoplasia (P ¼ 0.0001). MR signs of non-neoplastic brain diseases in dogs and cats were more variable than those of brain neoplasia.

Veterinary Radiology <html_ent glyph="@amp;" ascii="&"/> Ultrasound, 2005

To describe the signs that may be associated with intracranial inflammatory conditions, magnetic ... more To describe the signs that may be associated with intracranial inflammatory conditions, magnetic resonance (MR) images of 25 dogs that had inflammatory cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were mixed with those of a control group of 40 dogs that had CSF negative for inflammatory disease and reviewed without knowledge of the clinical signs or diagnosis. CSF was considered inflammatory if the protein level was 40.25 g/l and the white cell count was 45 mm À3 . Abnormalities were found by MR imaging in 19 (76%) dogs with inflammatory CSF. Two dogs had focal lesions, 10 had multifocal lesions, and seven had diffuse lesions. Lesions affected all divisions of the brain. Mass effect was identified in seven (28%) dogs, including one that had a choroid plexus carcinoma. Lesions were hyperintense in T2-weighted images in 18 dogs and hypointense in T1-weighted images in six dogs. Multifocal or diffuse intraaxial lesions that were hyperintense in T2-weighted images were observed in 17 (68%) dogs with inflammatory CSF. Administration of gadolinium resulted in enhancement of intraaxial lesions in nine (36%) dogs and enhancement of meninges in seven (28%) dogs. Six (24%) dogs with inflammatory CSF had images interpreted as normal.