Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
CT scan and tissue findings in dogs with Hansen type I disc herniation
By Kuroki, K et al.·Published in Veterinary and comparative orthopaedics and traumatology : V.C.O.T·2013·University of Missouri, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Computed tomographic and histological findings of Hansen type I intervertebral disc herniation in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 45 dogs with suspected intervertebral disc herniation (IVDH) underwent non-contrast CT scans to help diagnose their condition. The scans were effective in planning surgery for 42 of the dogs, confirming that CT can be a reliable tool for this issue. The study found that the density of the herniated disc material on the CT images was linked to how long the dogs had been showing symptoms, indicating that more chronic cases had higher density values. Most dogs received successful surgical treatment for their herniated discs and were able to recover afterward.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether non-contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) as a stand-alone imaging modality can be used to define the Hansen type I intervertebral disc herniation (IVDH) lesion and also whether the Hounsfield unit (HU) value of herniated disc is relevant to clinical duration and to histopathological chronicity of extruded disc material. METHODS: Information from a series of CT studies performed on 45 dogs with a presumptive diagnosis of Hansen type I IVDH was used. Clinical duration of IVDH was estimated based on time from onset of signs per owner communication to time of surgical intervention. Hansen type I IVDH was confirmed at surgery. Retrieved herniated disc was histologically examined. The HU values were analyzed to correlate the clinical duration and histopathological chronicity of the disc lesion. RESULTS: Non-contrast-enhanced CT provided sufficient diagnostic information to plan surgery in 42 of 45 dogs (93%). The value of the HU was significantly higher in clinically chronic cases (n = 12) compared to peracute cases (n = 11) (p <0.05). The HU values were significantly correlated with clinical duration (r = 0.482, p = 0.0008) and histopathological chronicity of the herniated disc (r = 0.408, p = 0.0056). CONCLUSION: Consistent with the previous reports, the use of non-contrast-enhanced CT alone was sufficient for the diagnosis and surgical planning in most patients with Hansen type I IVDH in the thoracolumbar spine. In addition, the present study suggested that HU values on CT images may be useful in the evaluation of disease chronicity of IVDH.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23708858/