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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Burmese cat with hind leg weakness had spinal dermoid sinus removed

By Tong, T & Simpson, D J·Published in Australian veterinary journal·2009·University Veterinary Teaching Hospital Camden, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: Case report: Spinal dermoid sinus in a Burmese cat with paraparesis.

Species:
cat

Plain-English summary

A 2-year-old male Burmese cat was brought in for chronic weakness in his back legs, trouble walking, and urinary incontinence. After various tests, vets discovered a congenital spinal issue and a mass in his spine called a dermoid sinus, which is a type of cyst filled with hair and skin debris. The cat underwent surgery to remove the cyst, and afterward, he regained the ability to use his hind legs. While he still has trouble urinating on his own, he has been healthy and symptom-free for over four years since the surgery.

People also search for: cat hind leg weakness · Burmese cat urinary incontinence · dermoid sinus surgery cat

Abstract

A 2-year-old, male, Burmese cat was evaluated for chronic progressive hindlimb weakness, ataxia and urinary incontinence. Radiographic examination, myelography and magnetic resonance imaging defined congenital vertebral anomalies and a space-occupying intradural, extramedullary mass. A dermoid sinus was subsequently identified dorsal to the affected spine. Surgical excision of the tract necessitated a dorsal laminectomy and removal of a 1-cm diameter intradural dermoid sinus 'cyst' that contained hair and sebaceous debris. The cat recovered hindlimb function after surgery and remains asymptomatic 50 months after surgery except for a persistent inability to urinate voluntarily.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19857239/