Association between the findings on magnetic resonance imaging screening for syringomyelia in asymptomatic Cavalier King Charles spaniels and observation of clinical signs consistent with syringomyelia in later life.

Abstract

A questionnaire-based study was used to investigate the association between the findings on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) screening for syringomyelia (SM) in 79 asymptomatic Cavalier King Charles spaniels (CKCS) and the subsequent development of clinical signs consistent with SM in later life. Owners reported clinical signs consistent with SM in 13/79 (16%) dogs at the time of the questionnaire. A significantly greater proportion of CKCS with a syrinx visible on MRI screening showed clinical signs in later life (9/25, 36%) than dogs without a visible syrinx (4/54, 7%; odds ratio 6.9). Whether the findings of MRI screening can be used to indicate the likelihood of an asymptomatic CKCS developing clinical signs consistent with SM in later life warrants further prospective study in a larger cohort of dogs.