Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
CT scan features of acute thoracolumbar disc disease in dogs
By Lim, Changyun et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary science·2010·Department of Veterinary Medical Imaging, South Korea·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Computed tomographic characteristics of acute thoracolumbar intervertebral disc disease in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs suspected to have a herniated disc in their back underwent imaging to assess their condition. The dogs were examined neurologically and classified based on the severity of their symptoms. The imaging helped determine the extent of the herniated disc material and its impact on the spinal cord. The results showed that non-contrast CT scans can effectively diagnose acute intervertebral disc disease, especially in certain breeds prone to this issue. This information can help veterinarians evaluate the dog's condition and plan appropriate treatment.
People also search for: dog back pain treatment · herniated disc in dogs · intervertebral disc disease symptoms · dog CT scan for back problems
Abstract
Forty canine patients with a presumptive diagnosis of the intervertebral disc herniation at the thoracolumbar region were imaged. A neurological examination was performed and all patients were classified under four grades by the examination. The degrees of attenuation of the herniated disc material were measured in Housefield units (HU) in each image. The ratio of the area to herniated disc material and the height to disc material were measured. The clinical grade was correlated with the area ratio of the herniated disc material to the spinal cord, but not correlated with the height ratio of that. In the patients with epidural hemorrhage at surgery, HUs of the herniated disc material was lower than those with no epidural hemorrhage at surgery. Noncontrast computed tomography scans of the spine can be useful in diagnosing acute intervertebral disc disease in chondrodystrophoid breeds, evaluating patient status and identifying concurrent epidural hemorrhage.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20195068/