Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with head tilt and spinal cyst from brainstem tumor
By da Costa, Ronaldo C et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2004·Department of Clinical Studies, Canada·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Cervical syringohydromyelia secondary to a brainstem tumor in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 11-year-old male Pekingese was brought in for a head tilt and other neurological issues like unsteady walking and a curved spine. An MRI revealed a tumor in the brainstem, which was causing these symptoms. The dog was treated with corticosteroids and radiation therapy for four weeks. Follow-up MRIs showed that the tumor shrank significantly, and the dog's brain structure returned to normal, with no further signs of the previous issues.
People also search for: dog head tilt treatment · Pekingese brain tumor symptoms · dog radiation therapy for tumors
Abstract
An 11-year-old male Pekingese was evaluated because of a history of head tilt. Neurologic examination revealed a right-sided head tilt, ataxia, scoliosis, and proprioceptive deficits. Diagnostic testing included magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head and neck. After IV administration of gadopentetate dimeglumine, an extra-axial, highly contrast-enhanced mass in the brainstem, cerebellar herniation, and syringohydromyelia were detected via MRI. The dog was treated with corticosteroids and radiation therapy of the mass for 4 weeks (total dose, 42.5 Gy). Magnetic resonance imaging was repeated 9 weeks and 6 months after radiation therapy; compared with the initial findings, a reduction in the size of the brainstem mass was observed in both MRI scans. The third MRI scan also revealed a normal cerebellar shape, no evidence of herniation, and resolution of syringohydromyelia in the dog at that time. It is recommended that whenever syringohydromyelia is observed via MRI, a primary cause (cranial or caudal to the affected region) should be sought.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15515984/