Tyson (5 years old male Boxer dog) presented to the clinic with peracute onset of lateralizing non-painful paraplegia with intact deep pain. Signs were improving over time. Neurological exam was performed by the doctor on duty of the clinic who reported deficits consistent with T3-L3 myelopathy. Dog was admitted for further diagnostic work-up and the findings from the neurological examination and diagnostic procedures were discussed and confirmed with Dr Marios Charalambous (Neurology and Neurosurgery Dept). Intraparenchymal hyperintensity was detected in the spinal cord segments at the level of T12-L1 vertebrae on the STIR and T2-weighted images (see arrows on sagittal and vertical images). No evidence of spinal cord compression is detected on the images. The differential diagnosis include traumatic non-compressive myelopathy or a vascular accident; main examples/disorders are fibrocartilagenous emboli (FCE) and “high velocity-low volume” disc extrusion. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collection collection and analysis was indicated. These conditions are non-surgical and dog should be managed conservatively. Conservative management includes intravenous fluids at least for 24 hours immediately after the episode and then rehabilitation in an attempt to keep the muscle strength and function intact. Improvement is expected to be dramatic over the first 7 days and continues for the next 2-3 months following the injury. However, the recovery depends on the severity and extent of the spinal cord lesion. If deep pain perception is absent in one or more limbs, the prognosis is guarded.
Posted on: Tue, 16 Sep 2014 19:19:20 +0000
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