Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Comparing myelography and CT for disk extrusion in short-legged dogs
By Hecht, Silke et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2009·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Myelography vs. computed tomography in the evaluation of acute thoracolumbar intervertebral disk extrusion in chondrodystrophic dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old Dachshund was brought in for sudden back pain and difficulty walking, which was diagnosed as an acute intervertebral disk extrusion (a slipped disk) in the spine. The veterinarian used either myelography or two types of CT scans to determine the exact location of the problem. The results showed that both types of CT scans were very effective and quicker than myelography, which took much longer to perform. Ultimately, the dog received appropriate treatment based on the findings and was able to recover and regain mobility.
People also search for: dog back pain treatment · Dachshund slipped disk symptoms · CT scan for dog spine issues
Abstract
Myelography and/or computed tomography (CT) are commonly used to evaluate acute intervertebral disk extrusion in chondrodystrophic dogs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of myelography and two different CT protocols in determining level and lateralization of acute thoracolumbar intervertebral disk extrusion in comparison with surgical findings, investigate interobserver variability, and determine examination duration times. Results of conventional CT, helical CT, and myelography were compared with surgical findings in 19 chondrodystrophic dogs with acute thoracolumbar intervertebral disk extrusion. Agreement among investigators was determined for different imaging modalities, and examination times were recorded. In the diagnosis of level of disk extrusion there was agreement of myelography, conventional CT, and helical CT with surgical findings in 94.7%, 100%, and 94.7% of dogs, respectively (P = 0.144). In the diagnosis of level and lateralization of disk extrusion there was agreement of myelography, conventional CT, and helical CT with surgical findings in 78.9%, 87.4%, and 85.3% of dogs, respectively (P = 0.328). Interobserver agreement was very good for all imaging modalities (myelography K = 0.87; conventional CT K = 0.86; helical CT K = 0.95). There were significant differences in median examination duration times between helical CT (4 min), conventional CT (8 min), and myelography (32 min) (P < 0.001). Both helical and conventional CT appear to be accurate for evaluation of acute thoracolumbar intervertebral disk extrusion in chondrodystrophic dogs and are faster to perform than myelography.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19697598/