Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Sudden limb paralysis in cats from spinal cord embolism
By Mikszewski, Jessica S et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2006·School of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Fibrocartilaginous embolic myelopathy in five cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Five cats suddenly showed signs of weakness or paralysis in one or more legs, which led their owners to seek veterinary help. Tests, including MRI, revealed a specific spinal cord issue called fibrocartilaginous embolic myelopathy, where a piece of cartilage blocks blood flow in the spine. Unfortunately, three of the cats were euthanized due to severe damage, but two cats received treatment and improved within three weeks.
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Abstract
Five cats had clinical signs, radiographic findings, and cerebrospinal fluid analyses consistent with fibrocartilaginous embolic myelopathy. All cats had an acute onset of nonpainful, asymmetrical spinal cord signs (paresis or paralysis of one or more limbs). Magnetic resonance imaging was performed in three cats. On T2-weighted images, an intramedullary lesion was revealed that was hyperintense to normal spinal cord gray matter. On T1-weighted images, the lesion was isointense. Three of the cats were euthanized, and postmortem examination confirmed myelomalacia with intralesional fibrocartilaginous emboli. Two cats survived and were clinically improved within 3 weeks.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16611936/