Brachycephalic dogs remain popular, despite the knowledge that this head conformation is associated with health problems, including airway compromise, ocular disorders, neurological disease, and other co-morbidities. There is increasing evidence that brachycephaly disrupts cerebrospinal fluid movement and absorption, predisposing ventriculomegaly, hydrocephalus, quadrigeminal cistern expansion, Chiari-like malformation, and syringomyelia. In this review, we focus on cerebrospinal fluid physiology and how this is impacted by brachycephaly, airorhynchy, and associated craniosynostosis.
Keywords: Chiari malformation; brachycephalic obstructive airway disease; canine; craniosynostosis; hydrocephalus; lateral aperture; quadrigeminal cistern; sleep disordered breathing; supracollicular fluid collection; syringomyelia; ventriculomegaly.