CLINICAL, CEREBROSPINAL-FLUID, AND HISTOLOGICAL DATA FROM 34 CATS WITH PRIMARY NONINFLAMMATORY DISEASE OF THE CENTRAL-NERVOUS-SYSTEM

The purpose of this study was to report the clinical, cerebrospinal fl uid (CSF), and histological data derived from a study of 34 cats with noninflammatory central nervous system (CNS) disease , and to report t he activities of the enzymes lactatedehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate tra nsferase (AST), and creatine kinase (CK) in the CSF from 15 cats with a variety of CNS diseases. The cats were part of a study of 61 cats th at were admitted to two university clinics because of signs of CNS dis ease. The most frequent noninflammatory diseases were neoplasia (n=12) and ischemic encephalopathy (n=4). The majority of cats with CNS neop lasia had a mild increase in CSF protein concentration (less than 1 g/ L [100 mg/Dl]), an increased percentage of neutrophils or lymphocytes, and a normal total white cell count. Cats with ischemic encephalopath y (IE) had a mild to moderate increase in CSF protein concentration (l ess-than-or-equal-to 2 g/L [200 mg/dL]) and a mild increase in white c ell count (less-than-or-equal-to 10 cells/muL) with an increased perce ntage of lymphocytes. The enzymes LDH, AST, and CK in the CSF were not sensitive indicators of chronic CNS disease. The CSF differential cel l count was frequently abnormal when the total white cell count was no rmal, and blood contamination in the CSF samples was a frequent proble m that had to be considered in the interpretation of the results. The history, signalment, and clinical signs, when combined with the CSF fi ndings, were valuable in the diagnosis of noninflammatory CNS disease.