Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How accurate are neck X-rays for disk problems in dogs
By Somerville, M E et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2001·Department of Surgery, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Accuracy of localization of cervical intervertebral disk extrusion or protrusion using survey radiography in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 64 dogs showing signs of neck pain or weakness were evaluated for cervical intervertebral disk disease, which can cause nerve issues. The veterinarians took X-rays to look for problems but found that these images were not very reliable for pinpointing where the disks were damaged. In fact, only about one-third of the time did the X-rays accurately show the correct location of the disk issues. For cases with multiple problems, the X-rays were somewhat better but still not very dependable. This study suggests that relying solely on X-rays may not be the best approach for diagnosing disk problems in dogs.
People also search for: dog neck pain diagnosis · cervical disk disease in dogs · dog X-ray accuracy for disk issues
Abstract
Sixty-four dogs with histories and clinical signs consistent with cervical intervertebral disk disease were presented for evaluation. Survey spinal radiographs were obtained, followed by myelography. In 61% of the survey radiographs, evaluators identified sites of disk extrusion or protrusion based on radiographic findings. Of those radiographs where a site was identified, ability to accurately identify the correct site of disk extrusion ranged from 53% to 67%, with an average of 58%. Therefore, the overall accuracy rate for correct identification of the site(s) of disk extrusion for all survey radiographs was 35%. Twelve cases had more than one site of disk extrusion or protrusion evident myelographically. In cases where multiple sites of extrusion were confirmed myelographically, the ability to localize at least one of the sites on the corresponding survey radiographs ranged from 63% to 80%, with an average of 70%. The major site of disk extrusion or protrusion was incorrectly identified in 16% to 31% of the survey radiographs, with an average of 26%. The use of survey radiographs alone is an inaccurate means for localization of cervical intervertebral disk extrusion or protrusion.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11716032/