Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Spinal cord MRI analysis in Corgis with degenerative myelopathy
By Naito, Eiji et al.·Published in The Journal of veterinary medical science·2022·Joint Graduate School of Veterinary Sciences, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Diffusion tensor imaging-based quantitative analysis of the spinal cord in Pembroke Welsh Corgis with degenerative myelopathy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of eight Pembroke Welsh Corgis with degenerative myelopathy (DM), a progressive spinal cord disease, were studied using advanced MRI technology to see if it could help diagnose their condition. The researchers found that certain measurements from the scans showed significant differences between the dogs with DM and those with other spinal issues. Specifically, the scans indicated lower values in the affected Corgis, which could help veterinarians diagnose DM without needing invasive procedures. This study suggests that MRI could be a useful tool for diagnosing DM in dogs before they pass away.
People also search for: Pembroke Welsh Corgi degenerative myelopathy symptoms · dog spinal cord disease diagnosis · MRI for dog spinal problems
Abstract
Canine degenerative myelopathy (DM) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease of the spinal cord. The diagnosis is based on the observation of clinical signs, genetic testing, and exclusion of other spinal cord diseases, and a definitive diagnosis of DM can only be confirmed by postmortem histopathological findings. The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic ability of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) for DM. Eight DM-affected Pembroke Welsh Corgis, thirteen dogs with thoracolumbar intervertebral disk herniation (IVDH), and six healthy control dogs were included. All dogs were scanned using a 3.0-T MRI system. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) values were calculated for each intervertebral disk level slice between T8-T9 and L2-L3 intervertebral disk levels, and the entire area of the thoracolumbar spinal cord between T8-T9 and L2-L3 intervertebral disk levels (T8-L3 region). The ADC and FA values of the T8-L3 region were significantly lower in the DM group than in the IVDH group. The ADC values for the T8-L3 region had a moderate negative correlation with clinical duration (r= -0.723, P=0.043); however, the FA values of other intervertebral disk levels and T8-L3 region had no correlation with clinical durations. The measurement of DTI indices can be used to quantitatively assess neurodegeneration and may have diagnostic value for DM. In particular, the ADC value of the T8-L3 region may aid in making a non-invasive premortem diagnosis of DM.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34897158/