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Pathology of traumatic brain injury

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Abstract

Although traumatic brain injury (TBI) is frequently encountered in veterinary practice in companion animals, livestock and horses, inflicted head injury is a common method of euthanasia in domestic livestock, and malicious head trauma can lead to forensic investigation, the pathology of TBI has generally received little attention in the veterinary literature. This review highlights the pathology and pathogenesis of cerebral lesions produced by blunt, non-missile and penetrating, missile head injuries as an aid to the more accurate diagnosis of neurotrauma cases. If more cases of TBI in animals that result in fatality or euthanasia are subjected to rigorous neuropathological examination, this will lead to a better understanding of the nature and development of brain lesions in these species, rather than extrapolating data from human studies.

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Acknowledgments

I thank Professor Peter Blumbergs, Senior Consultant Neuropathologist, SA Pathology, Adelaide, for helpful discussion in preparation of this manuscript.

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The author declares that he has no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. SA Pathology, Hanson Institute Centre for Neurological Diseases, PO Box 14 Rundle Mall, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia

    John W. Finnie

  2. School of Veterinary Science, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

    John W. Finnie

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  1. John W. Finnie
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Correspondence to John W. Finnie.

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Finnie, J.W. Pathology of traumatic brain injury. Vet Res Commun 38, 297–305 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11259-014-9616-z

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