Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cerebrospinal fluid signal loss on MRI in dogs explained
By Scrivani, Peter V et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2009·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Cerebrospinal fluid signal-void sign in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 327 dogs underwent brain scans to look for a specific sign in their cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that could indicate various neurological issues. This sign, known as the CSF signal-void sign, was found in 59 dogs, particularly in smaller breeds weighing less than 15 kg. In these cases, it was often linked to conditions like syringomyelia (a fluid-filled cavity in the spinal cord) and increased size of brain ventricles. The findings suggest that this sign can help veterinarians identify underlying brain problems in dogs, especially in smaller breeds.
People also search for: dog brain scan results · syringomyelia in small dogs · cerebrospinal fluid problems in dogs
Abstract
The cerebrospinal fluid signal-void sign is an observable signal loss from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), especially on T2-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) images. In people, this sign is attributed to rapid CSF flow or turbulence from arterial pulsations and occurs more frequently with reduced intracranial compliance. The purposes of this study were to describe the CSF signal-void sign, document whether a similar sign occurs in dogs and investigate associations between it and other conditions. The sample population consisted of 327 dogs admitted for neurocranium evaluation using a 0.2 T system. Review of the medical records and MR images was performed to characterize the presence and location of a CSF signal-void sign, ventricular size, syringomyelia, and other lesions. A CSF signal-void sign was detected in at least the mesencephalic aqueduct in 59/327 (18.0%) dogs, including some with no morphologic brain abnormality. The majority of these dogs (45/59% or 76%) weighed < 15 kg. In two other dogs, a CSF signal-void sign was detected only in a cervical syrinx. In dogs weighing > 15 kg, a CSF signal-void sign was seen with various conditions. In 137/327 (41.9%) dogs weighing < 15 kg, the presence of a CSF signal-void sign in the aqueduct (45 dogs) was associated with syringomyelia (P = 0.0468) and increased ventricular size (P = 0.0054): syringomyelia also was associated with increased ventricular size (P = 0.0009). In conclusion, a CSF signal-void sign was seen in dogs with various conditions. In small-breed dogs, a CSF signal-void sign in the aqueduct was associated with ventricular enlargement and syringomyelia.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19507389/