Etiology:  Radiculoneuropathy is caused by a spontaneous degeneration of the spinal cord and peripheral nerves.

Incidence:  Incidence is moderate.  It is usually seen in rats greater than two years of age.

Clinical Signs:  Clinical signs include paresis/paralysis of the hindlimbs.

Pathology:  The lesions in the spinal cord and peripheral nerves are characterized by myelin sheath vacuolation, Wallerian degeneration and infiltration of macrophages into intramyelinic spaces.  Demyelination is most prominent in the ventral root ganglia and associated motor nerves of the lumbosacral spinal cord and cauda equina.

Diagnosis:  Diagnosis is made based on histopathologic findings.