Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Intervertebral disc herniation in cats - signs and MRI findings
By Bibbiani, Leonardo et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2022·Anicura Portoni Rossi Veterinary Hospital, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prevalence, clinical presentation and MRI of intervertebral disc herniations in cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats diagnosed with intervertebral disc herniation (IVDH) showed various symptoms, including spinal pain and neurological issues. The most common type of herniation was acute non-compressive nucleus pulposus extrusion (ANNPE), affecting mainly female cats, while males were more likely to have intervertebral disc extrusion (IVDE). Cats with IVDP experienced longer-lasting symptoms but had milder neurological deficits. The study found that the thoracolumbar and lumbar regions were the most frequently affected areas. Treatment options vary based on the type of herniation, and many cats can recover with appropriate care.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence and to describe the clinical and diagnostic imaging features of the different types of feline intervertebral disc herniation (IVDH). METHODS: Medical records and imaging studies were retrospectively reviewed for cats diagnosed with IVDH between January 2008 and October 2020. Information obtained from the clinical records included signalment, clinical presentation, the presence of spinal hyperaesthesia and neurolocalisation. Diagnostic imaging findings, including type (ie, intervertebral disc extrusion [IVDE], intervertebral disc protrusion [IVDP] or acute non-compressive nucleus pulposus extrusion (ANNPE), site and number of IVDHs, were recorded. The association between breed, age, sex, duration and severity of neurological signs, the presence of spinal pain and MRI features was evaluated. RESULTS: Forty-three cats were included. A total of 50 IVDHs were identified: 39 cats were diagnosed with a single IVDH and four with multiple IVDHs. The most common type of IVDH was ANNPE (n = 22), followed by IVDP (n = 19) and IVDE (n = 9). Neuroanatomical localisation included L4-S3 (n = 19/43), T3-L3 (n = 18/43) and C1-C5 (n = 6/43). Cats with a single IVDH were statistically significantly associated with a diagnosis of ANNPE ( = 0.023) compared with cats with multiple IVDHs affected by IVDP ( = 0.004). Males were more commonly affected by IVDE ( = 0.020) and females by ANNPE ( = 0.020). Cats with IVDP had a longer duration of clinical signs (<0.001) than cats with ANNPE and demonstrated milder neurological deficits ( = 0.005). IVDEs were statistically significantly associated with spinal hyperaesthesia ( = 0.013), while ANNPEs were not ( = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: ANNPE, IVDP and IVDE are each associated with distinctive clinical scenarios. Thoracolumbar and mid-to-caudal lumbar regions are the most affected, followed by the cranial cervical spine segment.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36172921/