Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Osteosarcoma causing back leg weakness in an 8-year-old dog
By Moore, G E et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2000·Department of Defense Military Working Dog Veterinary Service, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Osteosarcoma in adjacent lumbar vertebrae in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old male Belgian Malinois was brought to the vet because he was having trouble moving his back legs for about 2 to 3 weeks. X-rays and other imaging tests showed a mass affecting his spine, and a biopsy confirmed it was a high-grade osteosarcoma (a type of bone cancer). Unfortunately, due to the severity of the disease and the poor prognosis, the decision was made to euthanize the dog. A necropsy revealed that the cancer had spread to multiple vertebrae and even the lungs, indicating a serious condition known as skip metastases.
People also search for: dog back leg weakness · Belgian Malinois osteosarcoma · dog bone cancer treatment
Abstract
An 8-year-old male Belgian Malinois was referred for evaluation of progressive caudal paresis of 2 to 3 weeks' duration. Radiography revealed a mottled appearance to the body of L4 and misshapen intervertebral foramen at L4-L5. Myelography revealed that the dye column terminated within the body of L4. Computed tomography revealed a soft tissue mass adjacent to or involving the spinal cord and L4, with complete destruction of a portion of the floor of the vertebral foramen. Small circular lesions were also noticed within the body of L3 and L5. A left-sided hemilaminectomy was performed. Histologic examination of a biopsy specimen revealed a high-grade sarcoma. Because of the poor prognosis, the dog was euthanatized. Necropsy examination revealed osteosarcoma, with lesions in L3 to L7, the sacrum, and the lungs. Metastatic lesions in adjacent bones have been termed skip metastases and the primary tumor is typically in long bones. Prognosis associated with skip metastases is similar to or even graver than that associated with pulmonary metastases. In the dog of the present report, the unusual finding of distinct foci of osteosarcoma within 5 adjacent lumbar vertebrae and the sacrum was consistent with skip metastases, potentially spread via the vertebral venous plexus.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11019712/