Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Signs and diagnoses of upper back spinal problems in cats
By Benito Benito, Miguel et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2023·Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Demographics, clinical findings and diagnoses of cranial thoracic myelopathies (T1-T6 vertebrae) in cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats with spinal issues affecting the upper back (between the T1 and T6 vertebrae) were studied to understand their symptoms and diagnoses. Most of these cats were older, with a median age of about 7.5 years, and they showed signs of chronic and progressive problems, often for weeks or even months. The most common cause of their issues was found to be tumors, but other causes included inflammation and congenital problems. Many cats did not show signs of pain when examined, which can make diagnosis tricky. Understanding these conditions can help veterinarians better assess and treat cats with similar symptoms.
People also search for: cat back pain · cat spinal problems · cat myelopathy treatment · cat tumor symptoms · why is my cat weak
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to describe the patient demographics, clinicopathological features and presumptive or final diagnoses in cats with myelopathies between the T1 and T6 vertebrae. METHODS: This retrospective multicentre case study enrolled cases between 2015 and 2022 that were diagnosed with myelopathies between the T1 and T6 vertebrae as the primary cause for the presenting clinical signs. RESULTS: A total of 21 cases matched the inclusion criteria, 13 males (11 castrated and 2 entire) and 8 spayed females (median age 93 months; range 5-192). Most of the cases presented with a chronic and progressive history (76% and 86%, respectively), with a median duration of 29 days (range 1-2880). At the time of presentation, 90% of the cases were localised to the T3-L3 spinal cord segments based on neurological examination. The most common underlying pathology was neoplasia (42.9%), followed by inflammatory (24%), anomalous (19%), degenerative (9.5%) and vascular (4.8%) disorders. The most common location was T3-T4 (29%), followed by T2-T3 and T5-T6 (19% each). The cutaneous trunci reflex was normal in 86% of the cases and most of the cases (71%) did not show spinal discomfort upon admission. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Neoplasia was the most common cause of cranial thoracic myelopathy in this study. The lack of pathognomonic clinical signs for this specific region highlights the importance of assessing the entire thoracolumbar region up to and including at least the T1 vertebra when investigating cases with signs consistent with a T3-L3 myelopathy.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37791892/