Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Suboccipital muscle changes in small dogs with atlantoaxial
By Lee, Namsoon et al.·Published in BMC veterinary research·2022·Time Animal Medical Center, South Korea·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Comparison of cross-sectional area and fat infiltration of suboccipital muscles between normal dogs and dogs with atlantoaxial instability.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A young toy breed dog with atlantoaxial instability (AAI) was found to have neurological symptoms, which can include weakness or difficulty moving. An MRI showed that the muscles at the back of the dog's skull were smaller and had more fat than those of normal dogs. Interestingly, dogs with mild symptoms for a longer time had even more fat in these muscles compared to those with severe symptoms. This suggests that the muscle changes may be linked to the instability affecting the spine. Understanding these muscle changes can help veterinarians better assess and treat dogs with AAI.
People also search for: dog atlantoaxial instability symptoms · toy breed dog neck problems · MRI for dog spinal issues
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Atlantoaxial instability (AAI) is primarily a congenital neurological disorder affecting young toy-breed dogs. So far, most studies have focused on bones and ligaments related to AAI, and there are no studies on the suboccipital muscles (SOMs) that occupy a large area from the occipital bone to C2 in dogs. This study evaluated the cross-sectional area (CSA) and fat infiltration of the SOMs using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), specifically, T1-weighted images, in normal dogs (≤ 5 kg) and AAI dogs. The relationship between the severity of the neurological symptoms of AAI (group A and group B) and the values from MRI was also assessed. RESULTS: AAI dogs had significantly smaller CSA (P = 0.029) and greater fat infiltration (P = 0.044) of the SOMs compared to normal dogs. AAI dogs with mild neurological symptoms for a long period (group A) had greater fat infiltration than AAI dogs with severe neurological symptoms (group B) (P = 0.035). CONCLUSIONS: The muscle changes are most likely due to spinal cord compression resulting from instability; however, the possibility that chronic changes of the muscle may play an additional role in maintaining stability in this region cannot be excluded. This study provides fundamental quantitative information of the SOMs in normal and AAI dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35042533/