Myelin splitting, Schwann cell injury and demyelination in feline diabetic neuropathy

Abstract

Nerve biopsy samples from two cats with spontaneously occurring diabetes were examined. The predominant nerve fiber abnormalities observed were restricted to the myelin sheath and Schwann cell. Reactive, degenerative and proliferative Schwann cell changes were evident but the most striking abnormality encountered was splitting and ballooning of the myelin sheath. These observations highlight the significance of Schwann cell injury in the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy.