Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Vertebral vascular canal dysplasia in French and English Bulldogs
By Santifort, Koen M et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2022·Evidensia Small Animal Hospital 'Hart van Brabant' and Arnhem, Netherlands·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Vertebral vascular canal dysplasia in French and English Bulldogs: Clinical, CT, and MRI characteristics and prevalence.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of French and English Bulldogs was found to have a spinal condition called vertebral vascular canal dysplasia (VVCD), which affects the vertebrae and can lead to various health issues. In a study of nine dogs, it was noted that this condition impacted more than half of the height of certain vertebrae. The prevalence of VVCD was particularly high in English Bulldogs, with 83.3% affected in the UK, while 68.3% of French Bulldogs also showed signs of the condition. This information can help veterinarians better understand and diagnose spinal issues in these breeds.
People also search for: French Bulldog spine problems · English Bulldog vertebral dysplasia · dog spinal condition symptoms
Abstract
The authors have observed a vertebral anomaly in French and English Bulldogs and termed this anomaly "vertebral vascular canal dysplasia (VVCD)." No previously published descriptions of this anomaly were found. The aims of this retrospective, multi-institutional, observational study were to (1) describe the clinical, CT, and MRI characteristics of VVCD, and (2) estimate the prevalence and describe the characteristics of VVCD in a group of French and English Bulldogs. For descriptions of the anomaly, medical records and imaging studies of nine clinical cases with VVCD from several countries were reviewed. For estimation of prevalence, imaging studies of French and English Bulldogs from the United Kingdom (UK) and Italy were reviewed. All clinical case dogs had ≥5 thoracic vertebrae with VVCD affecting >50% of vertebral body height (VBH). The prevalence of VVCD involving ≥1 thoracic vertebra in the UK population (CT identified) of English Bulldogs and French Bulldogs was, respectively, 83.3% (30/36) and 68.3% (28/41). English Bulldogs had significantly more thoracic vertebrae with VVCD than French Bulldogs (P = < 0.01). The prevalence of VVCD in ≥1 thoracic vertebra in the Italian population (MRI identified) of English Bulldogs and French Bulldogs was, respectively, 21.7% (5/23) and 6.6% (7/106). Vertebral vascular canal dysplasia was observed in normal as well as in malformed vertebrae (e.g., hemivertebrae). Findings from the current study introduced descriptions of VVCD that can be used as background for future studies.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35199424/