Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat suddenly weak in all four legs from spinal cord embolism
By Abramson, Carley J et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2002·The Animal Health Trust, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Tetraparesis in a cat with fibrocartilaginous emboli.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old cat developed severe weakness in all four legs over five days, starting with unsteady movements (ataxia). After a thorough examination, the vet found a problem in the spinal cord but couldn't determine the exact cause right away. Blood tests and X-rays looked normal, but an analysis of the spinal fluid showed some inflammation. Unfortunately, the exact diagnosis of fibrocartilaginous embolization (a blockage in the spinal cord) was only confirmed after the cat passed away. This case is notable as it’s one of the few reported instances of this condition in cats, particularly affecting the cervical area of the spine.
People also search for: cat weakness in legs · cat ataxia causes · fibrocartilaginous embolization in cats
Abstract
An 8-year-old cat, with a history of ataxia that progressed to tetraparesis over a 5-day period, was evaluated. A lesion was localized to the sixth cervical (C6) to second thoracic (T2) spinal cord segments based on physical and neurological examination findings. Blood work was unremarkable, as was survey radiography of the thoracic and abdominal cavities. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis showed moderate neutrophilic inflammation. A definitive diagnosis was not made until necropsy, at which time intravascular fibrocartilaginous embolization (FCE) of the cervical spinal cord was identified. This is only the third published report of FCE in the feline species and the first such case involving the cervical spinal cord.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11908833/