Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with large skull tumor treated using 3D-printed skull implant
By Marc Hobert et al.·Published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science·2024·AniCura Tierklinik Thun, Thun, Switzerland, CH·View original on DOAJ →
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Original publication title: Case report: One-stage craniectomy and cranioplasty digital workflow for three-dimensional printed polyetheretherketone implant for an extensive skull multilobular osteochondosarcoma in a dog
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 12-year-old female German Shepherd was brought in with facial deformity, blindness, and difficulty walking due to a large tumor in her skull. After imaging tests showed the tumor was pressing on her brain, the vet performed surgery to remove the mass and used a custom 3D-printed implant to reconstruct her skull. Eight weeks after the surgery, the dog was recovering well, with only a slight delay in feeling in one leg, which remained stable for 18 months. Unfortunately, she later passed away from unrelated causes, and there were no complications from the implant.
People also search for: dog skull tumor treatment · German Shepherd surgery recovery · 3D-printed implant for dogs
Abstract
ObjectiveTo report a digital workflow for use and long-term outcome of cranioplasty with a 3D-printed patient-specific Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) implant in a 12-y-old German Shepherd dog after surgical removal of an extensive occipital bone multilobular osteochondrosarcoma (MLO).Study designRetrospective case report.AnimalA 12-year-old neutered female German Shepherd dog was presented with facial deformity, blindness, tetraparesis, and ataxia. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) identified a large skull-based mass extending extra-and intracranially with severe compression of the cerebellum and occipital lobes of the cerebrum.MethodsOne-stage decompressive craniectomy using virtual surgical planned 3D-printed craniotomy cutting guides and the Misonix BoneScalpel® and reconstruction with a patient-specific 3D-printed PEEK cranial implant.Results3D-printed craniectomy cutting guides allowed an adequate fit of the cranial implant to the original skull. Misonix BoneScalpel® allowed performing a safe and extensive craniectomy. Postoperative CT (8 weeks after surgery) confirmed the PEEK cranial implant to be in place and without implant rejection. Clinically, the neurological examination identified only a right-hind limb delay in proprioception 8 weeks postoperatively, which remained unchanged at 18 months after surgery. Adjunctive treatment included metronomic chemotherapy. Eighteen months after surgery the dog passed away for reasons unrelated to the MLO, no implant-related complications were reported.Conclusion3D-printed craniectomy cutting guides, patient-specific PEEK cranial implant, and metronomic chemotherapy can lead to a successful long-term outcome in dogs with extensive skull MLO.Clinical significancePEEK is an alternative biomaterial that can be used successfully for skull reconstruction.
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Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2024.1459272