Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Young dog with thoracolumbar spinal tumor causing hindlimb weakness
By De Lorenzi, Davide et al.·Published in Veterinary clinical pathology·2007·Clinica Veterinaria S. Marco, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A true "triphasic" pattern: thoracolumbar spinal tumor in a young dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 8-month-old male Bernese Mountain Dog was brought to the vet because he was having trouble using his hind legs, which got worse over time. The vet discovered a tumor in his spine that was causing the weakness. During surgery to remove the tumor, doctors found different types of cells in the mass, leading to a diagnosis of spinal nephroblastoma, a type of tumor seen in young dogs. After the surgery, the diagnosis was confirmed, and the dog received appropriate treatment based on the findings.
People also search for: dog hind leg weakness · Bernese Mountain Dog spinal tumor · spinal nephroblastoma treatment
Abstract
An 8-month-old male Bernese Mountain Dog was referred with a history of hindlimb weakness that progressed to paresis on the right side. An intradural mass was detected in the spinal canal at the level of the 2nd and 3rd lumbar vertebrae. During surgical removal, 2 small fragments of the mass were prepared for cytologic examination by the squash technique. Cytologic examination revealed 3 different cell types: mesenchymal (stromal) cells, epithelial cells, and small undifferentiated hyperchromatic cells. On the basis of location and the triphasic cytologic pattern, a diagnosis of spinal nephroblastoma (thoracolumbar spinal tumor of young dogs) was made; histologic examination of the mass confirmed the cytologic diagnosis. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a triphasic pattern in a cytologic sample; recognizing this pattern is an important aid in reaching a definitive cytologic diagnosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17523097/