Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with neck cyst causing spinal cord compression and limb weakness
By Gutierrez-Quintana, Rodrigo et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2014·School of Veterinary Medicine, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Ventral occipito-atlanto-axial fluid-filled lesion causing dynamic spinal cord compression in a cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old female domestic longhair cat was brought in because she had been experiencing problems with coordination and weakness in all four legs for two years. After a thorough examination and MRI, the vet found a fluid-filled cyst in her neck that was pressing on her spinal cord when she moved her head. This type of cyst is rare in cats, and the findings emphasized the need for special imaging techniques to diagnose such issues. The cat's treatment plan would likely focus on addressing the cyst to relieve her symptoms and improve her mobility.
People also search for: cat ataxia treatment · cat weakness in legs · fluid-filled cyst in cat neck · cat spinal cord compression symptoms
Abstract
Cystic lesions affecting the vertebral canal or spinal cord have rarely been reported in cats. A 3-year-old female neutered domestic longhair cat presented for evaluation of a 2-year-history of episodes of ataxia and paresis affecting all limbs. Neurological examination was consistent with a lesion in the C1-C5 spinal cord segments. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a fluid-filled lesion at the occipito-atlanto-axial region causing dynamic spinal cord compression on flexion of the neck. The imaging characteristics were compatible with a juxta-articular cyst. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a fluid-filled lesion causing dynamic cervical spinal cord compression in a cat and highlights the importance of performing flexion-extension MRI views in diagnosing cases with dynamic spinal cord compression.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24101745/