Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
CT myelography shows neck spinal cord compression in large and giant
By da Costa, Ronaldo C et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2012·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Computed tomography myelographic findings in dogs with cervical spondylomyelopathy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with neck problems, specifically large- and giant-breed dogs, underwent a special imaging test called CT myelography to check for spinal cord compression. The study found that giant-breed dogs often had multiple areas of compression, mainly caused by bone changes, while large-breed dogs typically had fewer compressions mostly due to disc issues. The most common sites of compression were between the C5-6 and C6-7 vertebrae. Understanding these differences can help veterinarians better diagnose and treat neck issues in these breeds.
People also search for: dog neck pain treatment · giant breed dog cervical spondylomyelopathy · CT myelography for dogs
Abstract
Computed tomography (CT) myelography is used occasionally in the diagnosis of cervical spondylomyelopathy, but the type of lesion found in large- versus giant-breed dogs using this modality has not been characterized. Our purpose was to report the frequency of compressive lesions in large- and giant-breed dogs with cervical spondylomyelopathy and imaged using CT myelography. Fifty-eight dogs were retrospectively studied, 23 large-breed and 35 giant-breed dogs. Multiple sites of compression were found in 12 large-breed dogs (52.2%) compared to 30 (85.8%) giant-breed dogs. The main site of compression was at C5-6 and C6-7 in both large-breed (91.3%) and giant-breed (72.4%) dogs. The main cause and direction of compression was disc-associated and ventral in 19 (82.6%) of the large-breed dogs while osseous changes were the primary cause of compression in 27 (77.2%) of the giant-breed dogs, with most compressions being lateral (51.4%), followed by dorsolateral (14.2%). Osseous compression was observed at C7-T1 in eight giant-breed dogs (22.8%), and at T1-T2 or T2 only in five dogs (14.3%). Four of 23 large-breed dogs (17.4%), and seven (20%) of 35 giant-breed dogs had spinal cord atrophy. Therefore, giant-breed dogs often have multiple compressions, usually caused by osseous changes causing lateralized compressions. In large-breed dogs most compressions are disc-associated and located ventrally. Considering the number of giant-breed dogs with compressions at C7-T1, T1-2, and T2, it is important to include the cranial thoracic region when imaging dogs suspected of having cervical spondylomyelopathy.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22093094/