Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Spinal cysts causing hind leg weakness in three dogs
By Sale, C S H & Smith, K C·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2007·Willows Veterinary Hospital·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Extradural spinal juxtafacet (synovial) cysts in three dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Three dogs were brought in for spinal problems, showing signs of pain and weakness in their hind legs. After imaging tests, two dogs were found to have fluid-filled cysts near their lower back, while a third dog had a cyst higher up in the spine. All three dogs underwent surgery to relieve pressure from the cysts, and they all recovered well, with their symptoms improving significantly after the procedure.
People also search for: dog hind leg weakness · dog spinal surgery recovery · dog spinal cyst treatment
Abstract
Three dogs were presented for investigation of spinal disease and were diagnosed with extradural spinal juxtafacet cysts of synovial origin. Two dogs that were presented with clinical signs consistent with pain in the lumbosacral region associated with bilateral hindlimb paresis were diagnosed using magnetic resonance imaging. Both cysts were solitary and associated with the L6-7 dorsal articulations; both the dogs had a transitional vertebra in the lumbosacral region. A third dog that was presented with progressive paraparesis localised to T3-L3 spinal cord segments and compression of the spinal cord at T13-L1 was diagnosed using myelography. A solitary multiloculated cyst was found at surgery. Decompressive surgery resulted in resolution of the clinical signs in all three dogs. Immunohistological findings indicated that one to two layers of vimentin-positive cells consistent with synovial origin lined the cysts.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17286667/