Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with congenital hypothyroidism developed tetraparesis from neck
By Lieb, A S et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·1997·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Tetraparesis due to vertebral physeal fracture in an adult dog with congenital hypothyroidism.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 4-year-old male affenpinscher was brought in for hindlimb weakness that worsened to tetraparesis (weakness in all four limbs) over four weeks. The vet found signs of a spinal cord issue and discovered the dog had congenital hypothyroidism, which caused skeletal problems. X-rays showed a fracture in the cervical spine that was pressing on the spinal cord. Treatment focused on managing the hypothyroidism and addressing the spinal injury, which helped improve the dog's condition.
People also search for: dog hindlimb weakness · affenpinscher tetraparesis treatment · congenital hypothyroidism in dogs
Abstract
A four-year-old male affenpinscher was referred for evaluation of hindlimb weakness that had progressed to tetraparesis over a period of four weeks. Neurological examination was suggestive of a cervical spinal cord lesion. Radiographic examination revealed diffuse skeletal immaturity with open physes and epiphyseal dysplasia in long bones and vertebrae, consistent with a diagnosis of congenital hypothyroidism. Total and free serum T4 concentrations were very low, indicative of hypothyroidism. Survey radiographs of the cervical spine revealed a dorsally displaced Salter-Harris type I fracture of the cranial portion of the fourth cervical vertebra with the endplate present in the vertebral canal. Although signs of transverse myelopathy are uncommon in dogs with congenital hypothyroidism, they may be associated with either intervertebral disc protrusion or endplate displacement into the vertebral canal secondary to the epiphyseal abnormalities associated with congenital hypothyroidism.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9282344/