Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Shunt surgery to relieve spinal fluid blockage in dogs
By Meren, Ilyssa L et al.·Published in Veterinary surgery : VS·2017·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Shunt tube placement for amelioration of cerebrospinal fluid flow obstruction caused by spinal cord subarachnoid fibrosis in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Seven dogs with spinal cord issues caused by a blockage in their cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow due to fibrous tissue were treated with a special shunt tube. This procedure aimed to help the CSF flow more freely around the blockage. After surgery, five of the dogs showed improvement in their symptoms, with three fully recovering and two improving but not completely resolving their issues. Unfortunately, two dogs did not see any change even after several months. Overall, the shunt tube placement helped many dogs regain better function.
People also search for: dog spinal cord fluid blockage treatment · dog shunt surgery recovery · symptoms of spinal cord issues in dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe a novel technique for ameliorating cerebrospinal fluid flow obstruction secondary to pia-arachnoid fibrosis in dogs and report outcome. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive report and retrospective case series. ANIMALS: Dogs with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow obstruction (n = 7). METHODS: Medical records were searched for dogs that had a subarachnoid-subarachnoid shunt placed for treatment of CSF flow obstruction. Data collected included age, sex, breed, clinical signs and duration of signs prior to examination, neurologic status and localization prior to surgery, pre-surgical diagnostics, surgical technique, histopathology, postoperative neurologic examination, time to discharge from hospital, and outcome. RESULTS: All dogs were diagnosed at surgery with a fibrotic adhesion between the arachnoid and pia mater. A subarachnoid shunting tube was implanted to allow CSF flow across the lesion site. Five dogs showed improvement of clinical signs, 3 of which showed complete recovery and 2 of which showed improvement without resolution of all clinical signs. Two dogs showed no change at 7 and 24 months postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Bridging a region of pia-arachnoid fibrosis with a tube placed in the subarachnoid space can ameliorate or prevent progression of associated clinical signs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28146294/