Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Painful back leg weakness in 2-year-old Boxer dog from spinal tumor
By Hauer, Julia et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2026·Neurology Service, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Lumbar spinal cord ganglioglioma in a 2-year-old Boxer dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old Boxer was brought in for worsening weakness and pain in the back legs over two weeks. An MRI revealed a mass in the spinal cord, which was suspected to be a type of tumor called a ganglioglioma. The dog underwent surgery to remove the mass, but unfortunately, the condition worsened afterward, and the dog was euthanized three days later due to severe complications. This case highlights the challenges of treating rare spinal tumors in dogs.
People also search for: Boxer dog back leg weakness · dog spinal cord tumor treatment · what to expect after dog surgery
Abstract
A 2-year-old Boxer dog was examined for a 2-week history of progressive, painful right-lateralized paraparesis. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a focal ovoid mass with suspected intramedullary, or less likely, intradural location at the level of L3 vertebral body. Based on the imaging features, neoplasia, and specifically, a nephroblastoma, was suspected. Surgical excision found a difficult to excise mass with indistinct borders. The dog showed marked deterioration postoperatively and was euthanized 3 days later due to suspected myelomalacia. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry of the biopsy revealed that the spinal cord was replaced by a poorly organized proliferation of cells that consisted of both neuronal and glial components, embedded within an edematous neuropil. Immunohistochemistry of the lesion showed positivity for neuronal and astrocytic markers. These findings were consistent with a ganglioglioma, a rare neoplasm in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42080591/