Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Imaging features of discospondylitis in two horses.
- Journal:
- Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association
- Year:
- 2006
- Authors:
- Sweers, Lynelle & Carstens, Ann
- Affiliation:
- Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
Two horses were diagnosed with discospondylitis, which is an infection of the spine. Both horses showed signs of damage to the vertebrae on X-rays, including areas where the bone was breaking down and hardening. One horse also had misaligned vertebrae and additional bone changes, while the other had a collection of pus near the spine and changes in the surrounding muscles. A special bone scan ruled out other areas being affected. The treatment approach was thorough, and the outcome details were not specified in the study.
Abstract
Two horses with discospondylitis are described with emphasis on the imaging modalities used and their contribution to the final diagnosis and outcome. Radiographic findings were vertebral endplate lysis with sclerosis in both horses, with additional vertebral subluxation and ventral spondylosis in one horse. Ultrasonographic findings included vertebral malalignment and obliteration of the intervertebral disc by spondylotic bone in one horse and irregular endplates, a widened disc space, a hypoechoic paravertebral abscess and hypoechoic, atrophic adjacent musculature with loss of linear fiber pattern in the other horse. Bone scintigraphy excluded additional affected sites. A systematic approach is recommended when performing an ultrasound examination of the spine.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16553148/