Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Horner syndrome signs in dogs with neck spinal disease
By Vishal D. Murthy et al.·Published in Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine·2023·Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine University of California Davis California USA, GB·View original on DOAJ →
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Original publication title: Horner syndrome as a physiological biomarker of disease in canine cervical myelopathy
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old mixed-breed dog was brought in for signs of Horner syndrome, which can cause drooping of the eyelid and constricted pupil, alongside symptoms of cervical myelopathy (spinal cord disease). The vet found that this dog had a non-compressive spinal issue, specifically fibrocartilaginous embolism, which was more common in dogs with Horner syndrome compared to those without it. MRI scans showed significant changes in the spinal cord, and while some dogs with more severe lesions did not survive, the majority of dogs with Horner syndrome had a good recovery rate. Most dogs in this study survived and did well after treatment.
People also search for: dog Horner syndrome symptoms · cervical myelopathy in dogs · fibrocartilaginous embolism treatment · dog eye drooping causes
Abstract
Abstract Background Horner syndrome often occurs with cervical myelopathies and might provide insight into the underlying disease and prognosis. Objectives To describe the clinical and imaging features of dogs with cervical myelopathy and concurrent Horner syndrome and to determine association of Horner syndrome with diseases or magnetic resonance images (MRI). Animals Ninety‐three client‐owned dogs with cervical myelopathy and concurrent Horner syndrome and 99 randomly selected client‐owned dogs with cervical myelopathy without Horner syndrome (control cases). Methods Retrospective study. Medical records were reviewed to identify Horner and control cases and clinical findings recorded. MRI were reviewed, and lesions characterized and recorded. Descriptive and comparative statistics were performed. Results Non‐compressive disease occurred more frequently in the Horner group compared with controls (58%; 95% CI: 48‐68 vs 9%; 95% CI: 5‐16; P < .0001). The most common diseases were fibrocartilaginous embolism in the Horner group (44/93; 47%) and intervertebral disc extrusion (76/99; 77%) amongst controls. On MRI, parenchymal hyperintensity was seen more commonly in the Horner group (95%; 95% CI: 88‐98) compared with controls (51%; 95% CI: 41‐60; P < .0001). In the Horner group, dogs that did not survive to discharge (N = 13) had more extensive MRI lesions relative to the adjacent vertebral length (200%; IQR 110%‐575%) compared with survivors (N = 80; 110%; IQR 40%‐250%; P = .02). Lateralization of Horner signs and MRI changes matched in 54% of cases. The overall survival rate was high in both Horner (80/93; 86%) and control (95/99; 96%) groups. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Horner syndrome in cervical myelopathy is commonly associated with noncompressive intraparenchymal disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.16588