Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Surgery for thoracolumbar spinal cysts in six chondrodystrophic dogs
By Bismuth, Camille et al.·Published in Acta veterinaria Scandinavica·2014·Surgery Unit of the National Veterinary School of Lyon, France·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Original surgical treatment of thoracolumbar subarachnoid cysts in six chondrodystrophic dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of six dogs, including five Pugs and one French Bulldog, were brought in for spinal problems caused by rare subarachnoid cysts, which can affect movement and cause pain. The veterinarians used imaging tests to confirm the cysts and found that three of the dogs also had herniated discs. They performed surgery to remove the cysts and any adhesions, and treated the herniated discs. After surgery, the dogs showed only mild neurological issues, and follow-up exams over several months to years showed that they were doing well with no signs of the cysts returning.
People also search for: dog spinal cyst treatment · Pug back problems · French Bulldog surgery recovery · herniated disc in dogs · dog spinal surgery outcome
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Subarachnoid cysts are rare conditions in veterinary medicine, associated with spinal cord dysfunction. Most of the 100 cases of subarachnoid cysts described since the first report in 1968 were apparently not true cysts. Reported cysts are usually situated in the cervical area and occur in predisposed breeds such as the Rottweiler. The purpose of this retrospective study, from May 2003 to April 2012, was to describe the distinctive features of thoracolumbar spinal subarachnoid cysts, together with their surgical treatment and outcome in 6 chondrodystrophic dogs. RESULTS: Five Pugs and 1 French Bulldog were examined. Images suggestive of a subarachnoid cyst were obtained by myelography (2/6) and computed tomography myelography (4/6), and associated disc herniation was observed in 3/6 dogs. A hemilaminectomy was performed. The protruding disc eventually found in 5/6 dogs was treated by lateral corpectomy. The ventral leptomeningeal adhesions observed in all dogs after durotomy were dissected. No or only mild post-operative neurological degradation was observed. Follow-up studies (7 months to 4 years) indicated good outcome and no recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: All the thoracolumbar subarachnoid cysts described in these 6 chondrodystrophic dogs were associated with leptomeningeal adhesions. Good results seemed to be obtained by dissecting and removing these adhesions. A protruding disc, found here in 5/6 dogs, needs to be ruled out and can be treated by lateral corpectomy.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24884635/