Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with sudden neck disc problem causing weakness and nerve signs
By Lu, D et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2002·Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Acute intervertebral disc extrusion in a cat: clinical and MRI findings.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old neutered male domestic shorthaired cat was brought in because he suddenly couldn't use his left side and had a droopy eye (Horner's syndrome). An MRI showed a problem with a disc in his neck that was pressing on his spinal cord, likely due to an injury. The vet decided to treat him without surgery, and over the next six months, the cat gradually got better and regained his strength.
People also search for: cat sudden weakness · Horner's syndrome in cats · cat neck disc injury treatment
Abstract
A 5 year old, neutered male, domestic shorthaired cat had acute left hemiparesis and Horner's syndrome. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a loss of the normal signal from the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc at C3/4, narrowing of the ventral subarachnoid space and slight dorsal displacement of the spinal cord and a focal hyperintense lesion affecting the left side of the spinal cord at the same level. The presumptive diagnosis was focal spinal cord oedema associated with intervertebral disc extrusion. A traumatic aetiology was suspected. The cat was treated conservatively and improved gradually over a period of 6 months.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11869056/