Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
MRI signs of spinal cord stroke in three small breed dogs
By Grünenfelder, Fredrik I et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2005·Department for Small Animals·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Magnetic resonance imaging findings in spinal cord infarction in three small breed dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A Pekingese and two other small breed dogs were brought in with sudden weakness and difficulty walking, which suggested a spinal cord issue. Veterinarians used MRI scans to look for signs of fibrocartilaginous embolization (FCE), a condition where a piece of cartilage blocks blood flow in the spinal cord. The MRI showed specific lesions in all three dogs, helping to confirm the diagnosis. This case highlights that FCE can also affect small and chondrodystrophic breeds, and MRI can be a useful tool for diagnosing this condition before any post-mortem examinations.
People also search for: small dog weakness · Pekingese spinal cord problem · MRI for dog back pain · fibrocartilaginous embolization in dogs
Abstract
Fibrocartilaginous embolization (FCE) of the spinal cord is a common disease in large breed dogs. There are only a few reports about this entity in small breed dogs and it has never been reported in chondrodystrophic breed. For definitive diagnosis histopathologic examination is necessary. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a potential diagnostic tool for intravitam diagnosis of FCE has been mentioned before, but results have not been reported so far. This report describes the neurological findings and MRI results in three small breed dogs, including a Pekingese dog, with FCE of the spinal cord. The disease was suspected in two animals based upon clinical and MRI-appearance and confirmed in the third by histopathological examination. In all three cases, similar focal intramedullary lesions, consisting of hyperintensive signals on T2-weighted images, were detected. Based on these findings, high-field MRI may be used as an antemortem tool for the diagnosis of FCE. It is also shown that FCE can occur in chondrodystrophic dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15869150/