Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Spinal arachnoid cysts causing ataxia in 17 dogs
By Skeen, Todd M et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2003·Veterinary Teaching Hospital, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Spinal arachnoid cysts in 17 dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old Labrador was brought in for worsening coordination and occasional incontinence. The vet diagnosed him with a spinal arachnoid cyst, a fluid-filled sac in the spine that can affect movement. After surgery to remove the cyst, the dog showed improvement in the short term, but long-term success varied; only about two-thirds of dogs followed for over a year continued to do well. Younger dogs and those with shorter symptoms before surgery tended to have better outcomes.
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Abstract
The medical records of 17 dogs diagnosed with spinal arachnoid cysts at North Carolina State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital were retrospectively examined to identify trends in signalment, history, neurological status, treatment, and short- and long-term prognosis. The typical case was that of a nonpainful, progressive ataxia frequently characterized by hypermetria and incontinence. Cysts typically occurred in the dorsal subarachnoid space at the first to third cervical vertebrae of young, large-breed dogs or the caudal thoracic vertebrae of older, small-breed dogs. Although 14 of 15 dogs treated surgically did well in the short term, long-term successful outcomes were achieved in only eight of the 12 dogs that were followed for >1 year. Significant predictors of good, long-term outcome were not identified; however, factors associated with a trend toward a good outcome included <3 years of age, <4 months' duration of clinical signs, and marsupialization as the surgical technique.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12755201/