Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
CT scans with and without myelography for dog spinal disc herniation
By Buttin, P et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2013·Vetagro Sup Small Animal Surgery Department, France·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Computed tomographic measurements with and without myelography to characterise thoracolumbar extruded disc herniation.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 52 dogs with back problems caused by herniated discs underwent surgery to relieve spinal cord compression. The study found that dogs with a single herniated disc had a much better chance of recovery, with 75% achieving a good outcome, compared to only 25% of those with multiple herniated discs. This suggests that the pattern of disc disease can help predict how well a dog will do after surgery. If your dog is diagnosed with a herniated disc, it’s important to discuss the specific pattern of their condition with your vet to understand their prognosis.
People also search for: dog back pain surgery · herniated disc recovery in dogs · dog spinal cord compression prognosis
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine association between computed tomography measurements of spinal cord compression and postoperative outcome. METHODS: A retrospective review of medical records of dogs presenting with intervertebral disease. Data were collected with a minimum of 2 years follow-up period. Computed tomography morphometric indices, particularly the ratio of spinal cord or herniated disc to vertebral canal dimensions, were obtained from survey and myelogram computed tomographic images. The pattern of disc disease was scored as single or continuous (multiple herniated discs), and was compared to postoperative outcome. RESULTS: Fifty-two dogs were included. There was no significant correlation between the degree of spinal cord compression and postoperative outcome. However, postoperative outcome differed significantly between dogs with single or continuous patterns of disc disease (P=0·001). Of those with single patterns, 75% had a postoperative outcome score greater than 75% while 75% of continuous pattern cases had scores lower than 83%. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Simple observation of the pattern of disc disease as revealed by computed tomography could be used as a prognostic indicator. The outcome tends to be better for single patterns of disc disease, whereas the outcome was poor for most cases with continuous patterns.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24000825/