Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Signs and outcomes of central cord syndrome in 74 dogs
By Ros, Carlos et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2022·Hospital Veterinario UCV, Spain·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Central cord syndrome: clinical features, etiological diagnosis, and outcome in 74 dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 74 dogs with sudden weakness or difficulty moving their back legs was evaluated for central cord syndrome (CCS), a condition affecting the spinal cord. The most common causes were herniated disks, particularly in the neck area. Most dogs responded well to treatment, with 93% showing improvement in their symptoms. However, dogs that had trouble breathing were more likely to have a poor outcome. Overall, with proper care, many dogs recovered successfully from CCS.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical and neurologic signs, diagnostic investigations, definitive or presumptive diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of dogs presented with acute onset central cord syndrome (CCS). ANIMALS: 74 client-owned dogs evaluated for CCS at 5 referral hospitals between January 2016 and March 2021. PROCEDURES: Data were collected from the medical records of each dog, including patient signalment, physical and neurologic examination results, presence of signs of respiratory failure, diagnostic imaging findings, definitive or presumptive diagnosis, treatment and follow-up information. Descriptive statistics were calculated and bivariable analysis was performed to identify associations between selected variables. RESULTS: 2 neuroanatomic locations for the CCS were identified: C1-C5 spinal cord segments in 65 of 74 (88%) dogs and C6-T2 in 9 (12%) dogs. Neurolocalization did not correlate with the imaging findings in 43 (58%) dogs. Different diseases were associated with CCS. The most common condition was Hansen type I disk herniation in 27 (36%) dogs and hydrated nucleus pulposus extrusion in 16 (22%) dogs. Main lesion locations within the vertebral column associated with CCS were C3-C4 and C4-C5 intervertebral disk spaces in 21 (28%) and 18 (24%) dogs, respectively. Outcome was favorable in 69 (93%) dogs. Patients presenting with hypoventilation were 14.7 times more likely to have a poor outcome. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: CCS in dogs may be seen with lesions in the C1-C5 and C6-T2 spinal cord segments. Etiologies are variable. Total or partial improvement was achieved in most dogs with the appropriate treatment. Hypoventilation was associated with death.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35201998/