Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with multiple spinal nerve sheath tumors like human
By Tse, Jun Lai et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc·2025·Neurology and Neurosurgery Service, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Multiple spinal nerve sheath tumors in a dog resembling schwannomatosis in humans.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old male neutered crossbreed dog was brought to the vet after experiencing worsening weakness and inability to walk for 9 months. An MRI showed multiple tumors on the spinal cord, which were causing his symptoms. Despite treatment with steroids, his condition continued to decline, and a follow-up MRI showed the tumors had grown. Unfortunately, the dog was euthanized due to severe neurological issues, and tests confirmed he had multiple spinal nerve tumors similar to a condition seen in humans called schwannomatosis.
People also search for: dog weakness and inability to walk · dog spinal tumors treatment · what is schwannomatosis in dogs
Abstract
A 7-y-old male neutered crossbreed dog was presented to a veterinary referral hospital with a 9-mo history of progressive non-ambulatory tetraparesis. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study revealed multiple T2-weighted hyperintense intradural nodular lesions within the cervical spinal cord and nerves that were contrast-enhancing in T1-weighted post-contrast images. Neurologic signs progressed despite steroid treatment and a second MRI revealed slight enlargement of the previously seen lesions. The dog was euthanized due to severe neurologic signs. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry (laminin, S100, SOX10) confirmed multiple spindle-cell tumors from cervical spinal nerves, consistent with schwannomas. Neoplastic cells occasionally contained a large, clear vacuole (lipoblast-like change). The clinical and pathologic presentation resembles schwannomatosis, a hereditary condition in humans.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40331640/