Bovine hydrocephalus in North Dakota: a survey and morphologic study.

A survey of hydrocephalus in cattle in North Dakota in 1975 and 1976 included 26 proven cases falling into categories comparable to that seen in the human situation. The largest group was hydrocephalus secondary to aqueductal stenosis with the second largest group being hydranencephaly. Other groups included the Dandy-Walker malformation, porencephaly and a miscellaneous group having a variety of central nervous system malformations. All cases were sporadic with no evidence to suggest a genetic basis. The similarity suggests that calves could serve as a useful model for the human situation.