Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
What degenerate disk tissue looks like under the microscope in dogs
By Royal, Angela B et al.·Published in Veterinary surgery : VS·2009·University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Cytologic and histopathologic evaluation of extruded canine degenerate disks.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with back problems caused by intervertebral disk disease (IVDD) underwent surgery to remove degenerate disk material. During the evaluation of the removed tissue, many samples showed inflammation and some contained abnormal cells. The study found that the appearance of the disk material could vary widely, making it difficult to tell if the tissue was just degenerate or if it could be a type of tumor. This means that relying solely on cell analysis might not be enough for a clear diagnosis.
People also search for: dog back pain surgery · intervertebral disk disease in dogs · signs of dog disk problems
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe the cytologic and histopathologic appearance of degenerate disk material in dogs with Hansen type I intervertebral disk disease (IVDD). STUDY DESIGN: Case series. ANIMALS: Dogs (n=45) that had surgical intervention for Hansen type I IVDD (January-November 2007). METHODS: Impression smears and histopathologic sections were prepared from surgically removed degenerate disk material. All slides were evaluated for overall cellularity, quantity and attributes of extracellular matrix, types of cells present, and their cytomorphology. Histopathologic sections were also examined for presence of neovascularization and hemorrhage. RESULTS: Cytologically, 11 of 45 samples consisted of only extracellular matrix, 30 had evidence of inflammation, and 20 contained dysplastic spindloid cells. Histologically, hyaline cartilage predominated in 35 of 45 samples, fibrocartilage in 4, and spindloid cells in 6; 37 of 45 were inflamed, 37 were hemorrhagic, and 13 had neovascularization. CONCLUSIONS: The cytologic and histopathologic appearance of extruded degenerate disk material in dogs is variable and can include dysplastic spindloid cells. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The variability in cytologic findings and frequent presence of dysplastic spindloid cells suggest that cytology alone may not be a reliable tool to differentiate degenerate canine disk material from a mesenchymal neoplasm.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19781021/