Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with sudden back leg paralysis diagnosed with spinal disc
By Kitagawa, Masato et al.·Published in Journal of the South African Veterinary Association·2012·Department of Veterinary Medicine, Japan·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Identification of ventrolateral intramedullary intervertebral disc herniation in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old male cross-breed dog was brought to the vet after suddenly becoming paralyzed in his back legs for 13 days. An MRI showed a problem in the spinal cord near the thoracic vertebrae, and surgery revealed fibrous tissue and chondroid material from a herniated disc pressing on the spinal cord. The vet performed a hemilaminectomy and a durotomy to remove the material. This case is unique because it involved a herniated disc affecting the spinal cord from a different angle than usual. The dog’s recovery details weren't specified, but surgery is often a crucial step in treating such conditions.
People also search for: dog back leg paralysis · intervertebral disc herniation treatment · dog spinal surgery recovery
Abstract
A 10-year-old male cross-breed dog was brought to Nihon University Animal Hospital with a history of acute onset of paralysis in the pelvic limbs 13 days previously. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an intramedullary linear tract in the spinal cord at the thoracic vertebrae 12-13 region, which appeared hyperintense on T2-weighted images, but was hypointense and isointense on T1-weighted images when compared with normal parenchyma of the spinal cord. A hemilaminectomy was performed and a blob of what appeared to be fibrous tissue was found adhering to the surface of the dura mater. The diameter of the blob was about 4 mm. A durotomy was performed over the affected area and chondroid material was found within the spinal cord. Material from the nucleus pulposus penetrated the dura mater from the ventral aspect of the spinal cord in previously reported intramedullary intervertebral disc herniation cases, but, in this case, penetration occurred from the left ventrolateral aspect and progressed through to the right lateral aspect, forming a visible blob of what appeared to be fibrous tissue on the surface of the dura mater at the exit point. To the best of our knowledge, this was the first case report of an intramedullary intervertebral disc herniation originating from the ventrolateral aspect of the spinal cord in a dog.
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/23327141/