scholarly journals Posterior ataxia-paraparesis syndrome in the large-breed dog

2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 119
Author(s):  
Z. S. POLIZOPOULOU (Ζ. Σ. ΠΟΛΥΖΟΠΟΥΛΟΥ) ◽  
A. F. KOUTINAS (Α.Φ. ΚΟΥΤΙΝΑΣ) ◽  
C. K. KOUTINAS (X.Κ. ΚΟΥΤΙΝΑΣ)
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Hip Dysplasia ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Intervertebral Disk ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
Therapeutic Modalities ◽  
Csf Analysis ◽  
Dural Ossification ◽  
Degenerative Myelopathy ◽  
Spondylosis Deformans

The most common conditions associated with the posterior ataxia-paraparesis syndrome in large breed dogs are degenerative myelopathy, type II intervertebral disk disease, spinal cord neoplasms (extradural, extramedullary, intradural, intramedullary), cervical vertebral malformation-malarticulation, lumbosacral spondylopathy, diskospondylitis and distemper myelitis. These progressive myelopathies, which are often seen in aging dogs, are characterized clinically by posterior ataxia and UMN and/or LMN paraparesis that may result in paraplegia late in the course of the disease. In a certain number of cases the clinical picture is further deteriorated by concomitant hip dysplasia associated with osteoarthritis. Spinal radiography of myelopathic dogs may reveal spondylosis deformans or dural ossification to which their clinical signs could be erroneously attributed. Lesions of the spinal cord are localized and their etiology is determined with the aid of radiography, myelography, CT or MRI, CSF analysis and electrodiagnostic examination (somatosensor evoked potentials, electromyogram). In general, the various therapeutic modalities (decompressive surgeries, medication, exercise, physical therapy, avoidance of the complications associated with prolonged recumbency) usually applied in these cases are also discussed.

scholarly journals Changes of Dorsal Root Ganglion Volume in Dogs with Clinical Signs of Degenerative Myelopathy Detected by Water-Excitation Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1702
Author(s):  
Eiji Naito ◽  
Kohei Nakata ◽  
Yukiko Nakano ◽  
Yuta Nozue ◽  
Shintaro Kimura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Intervertebral Disc Herniation ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Diagnostic Potential ◽  
Water Excitation ◽  
Spinal Cord Segment ◽  
Degenerative Myelopathy

Canine degenerative myelopathy (DM) is a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease. However, a definitive diagnosis of DM can only be achieved by postmortem histopathological examination of the spinal cord. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the volumetry of DRG using the ability of water-excitation magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to visualize the DRG in dogs has premortem diagnostic value for DM. Eight dogs with DM, twenty-four dogs with intervertebral disc herniation (IVDH), and eight control dogs were scanned using a 3.0-tesla MRI system, and water-excitation images were obtained to visualize and measure the volume of DRG, normalized by body surface area. The normalized mean DRG volume between each spinal cord segment and mean volume of all DRG between T8 and L2 in the DM group was significantly lower than that in the control and the IVDH groups (P = 0.011, P = 0.002, respectively). There were no correlations within the normalized mean DRG volume between DM stage 1 and stage 4 (rs = 0.312, P = 0.128, respectively). In conclusion, DRG volumetry by the water-excitation MRI provides a non-invasive and quantitative assessment of neurodegeneration in DRG and may have diagnostic potential for DM.

Cervical spinal cord compression caused by cryptococcosis in a dog: successful treatment with surgery and fluconazole

1998 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 523-526 ◽  
Author(s):  
SC Kerwin ◽  
RJ McCarthy ◽  
JL VanSteenhouse ◽  
BP Partington ◽  
J Taboada
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Compression ◽  
Cervical Spinal Cord ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Cord Compression ◽  
Acute Onset ◽  
Intervertebral Disk ◽  
Doberman Pinscher ◽  
Cryptococcal Infection ◽  
Organ Systems

A six-year-old, male Doberman pinscher was presented for acute onset of upper motor neuron tetraparesis. An extradural compressive lesion compatible with intervertebral disk rupture at the sixth to seventh cervical (C6-C7) disk space was evident on myelography. A large, gelatinous mass of pure cryptococcal organisms causing spinal cord compression was identified upon exploratory surgery. Removal of the mass caused relief of clinical signs. No evidence of involvement of other organ systems was found; however, serum and cerebrospinal fluid titers were positive for cryptococcal infection. The dog was treated with fluconazole (5.5 mg/kg body weight, per os sid) until serum titers for cryptococcal infection were negative at seven months postsurgery. To the authors' knowledge, this is the only report of a dog with cryptococcosis treated successfully using fluconazole as a sole agent.

Evaluation of the association between spondylosis deformans and clinical signs of intervertebral disk disease in dogs: 172 cases (1999–2000)

2006 ◽  
Vol 228 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gwendolyn J. Levine ◽  
Jonathan M. Levine ◽  
Michael A. Walker ◽  
Roy R. Pool ◽  
Geoffrey T. Fosgate
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Intervertebral Disk ◽  
Spondylosis Deformans

scholarly journals Primary leptomeningeal gliomatosis in a domestic shorthaired cat

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 94-97
Author(s):  
Whitney M. Zoll ◽  
Andrew D. Miller ◽  
Carston Bandt ◽  
Jeffrey R. Abbott
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Intervertebral Disk ◽  
Lumbar Spinal Cord ◽  
Leptomeningeal Gliomatosis ◽  
Eosinophilic Cytoplasm ◽  
History Of ◽  
Homogeneous Matrix ◽  
Lumbar Spinal ◽  
Gross Examination

A 15-y-old neutered male domestic shorthaired cat was presented with a 16-d history of hindlimb paralysis in conjunction with 1-wk duration of inappetence and lethargy. Given intractable clinical signs, development of seizures, and poor prognosis, euthanasia was elected. Gross examination revealed mild, chronic, multifocal intervertebral disk disease; however, no gross abnormalities were noted in the spinal cord. Histologic examination of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spinal cord and the myelencephalon revealed diffuse and variable expansion of the meninges by sheets of neoplastic round-to-polygonal cells. The cells formed sheets and clusters, supported by a variably eosinophilic, fibrillar-to-basophilic, homogeneous matrix, and contained a small amount of eosinophilic cytoplasm. The nuclei were round with finely stippled to hyperchromatic chromatin and 1–2 small nucleoli. Mild white matter degeneration was present in the dorsal and ventral funiculi multifocally throughout the spinal cord, but was most severe in the ventral lumbar sections. Immunohistochemistry revealed strong intranuclear immunoreactivity for Olig2, and intracytoplasmic immunoreactivity for glial fibrillary acidic protein, MAP2, and vimentin in the neoplastic glial cells. To our knowledge, primary leptomeningeal gliomatosis has not been reported previously in a cat.

Lumbosacral Intervertebral Disk Disease in Six Cats

2008 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 109-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennipher E. Harris ◽  
Sarit Dhupa
Keyword(s):  
Computed Tomography ◽  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Urinary Incontinence ◽  
Medical Records ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Cord Compression ◽  
Intervertebral Disk ◽  
Decompressive Laminectomy ◽  
Pelvic Limb

Medical records of six cats diagnosed with lumbosacral intervertebral disk disease were reviewed. Clinical signs included reluctance to jump, low tail carriage, elimination outside the litter box, reluctance to ambulate, pelvic-limb paresis, urinary incontinence, and constipation. All cats had lumbosacral hyperpathia on palpation. Computed tomography in four cats revealed evidence of extradural spinal cord compression at the seventh lumbar (L7) to first sacral (S1) vertebral interspace. Compression was confirmed via myelography in three of these four cats, with confirmation in the fourth cat at the time of decompressive laminectomy. Each of the six cats underwent dorsal decompressive laminectomy at the L7 to S1 interspace. Postoperative clinical follow-up lasted 3 to 35 months, with most cats having excellent outcomes.

scholarly journals Efficacy of Intravenous Liposomal Amphotericin B (AmBisome) against Coccidioidal Meningitis in Rabbits

2002 ◽  
Vol 46 (8) ◽  
pp. 2420-2426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl V. Clemons ◽  
Raymond A. Sobel ◽  
Paul L. Williams ◽  
Demosthenes Pappagianis ◽  
David A. Stevens
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Amphotericin B ◽  
Liposomal Amphotericin ◽  
White Blood Cells ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
Liposomal Amphotericin B ◽  
Coccidioides Immitis ◽  
Lower Protein ◽  
Motor Abnormalities ◽  
The Brain

ABSTRACT The efficacy of intravenously administered liposomal amphotericin B (AmBisome [AmBi]) for the treatment of experimental coccidioidal meningitis was compared with those of oral fluconazole (FLC) and intravenously administered conventional amphotericin B (AMB). Male New Zealand White rabbits were infected by intracisternal inoculation of arthroconidia of Coccidioides immitis. Starting 5 days postinfection, animals received one of the following: 5% dextrose water diluent; AMB given at 1 mg/kg of body weight; AmBi given at 7.5, 15, or 22.5 mg/kg intravenously three times per week for 3 weeks; or oral FLC given at 80 mg/kg for 19 days. One week after the cessation of therapy, all survivors were euthanatized, the numbers of CFU remaining in the spinal cord and brain were determined, and histological analyses were performed. All AmBi-, FLC-, or AMB-treated animals survived and had prolonged lengths of survival compared with those for the controls (P < 0.0001). Treated groups had significantly lower numbers of white blood cells and significantly lower protein concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid compared with those for the controls (P < 0.01 to 0.0005) and had fewer clinical signs of infection (e.g., weight loss, elevated temperature, and neurological abnormalities including motor abnormalities). The mean histological scores for AmBi-treated rabbits were lower than those for FLC-treated and control rabbits (P < 0.016 and 0.0005, respectively); the scores for AMB-treated animals were lower than those for the controls (P < 0.0005) but were similar to those for FLC-treated rabbits. All regimens reduced the numbers of CFU in the brain and spinal cord compared with those for the controls (P ≤0.0005). AmBi-treated animals had 3- to 11-fold lower numbers of CFU than FLC-treated rabbits and 6- to 35-fold lower numbers of CFU than AmB-treated rabbits. Three of eight animals given 15 mg of AmBi per kg had no detectable infection in either tissue, whereas other doses of AmBi or FLC cleared either the brain or the spinal cord of infection in fewer rabbits. In addition, clearance of the infection from both tissues was achieved in none of the rabbits, and neither tissue was cleared of infection in AMB-treated animals. Overall, these data indicate that intravenously administered AmBi is superior to oral FLC or intravenous AMB and that FLC is better than AMB against experimental coccidioidal meningitis. These data indicate that AmBi may offer an improvement in the treatment of coccidioidal meningitis. Additional studies are warranted.

Spinal Cord Ischemia After Endovascular Embolization of a Type II Endoleak Following Endovascular Aneurysm Repair

2012 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 860.e1-860.e7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christos V. Ioannou ◽  
Dimitrios K. Tsetis ◽  
Dimitrios G. Kardoulas ◽  
Pavlos G. Katonis ◽  
Asterios N. Katsamouris
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Ischemia ◽  
Endovascular Aneurysm Repair ◽  
Endovascular Embolization ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
Type Ii Endoleak ◽  
Aneurysm Repair

Split spinal cord malformations in children

1998 ◽  
Vol 88 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yusuf Ersşahin ◽  
Saffet Mutluer ◽  
Sevgül Kocaman ◽  
Eren Demirtasş
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Neurological Deficits ◽  
Single Type ◽  
Type I ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Spinal Lesion ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Fine Print

Object. The authors reviewed and analyzed information on 74 patients with split spinal cord malformations (SSCMs) treated between January 1, 1980 and December 31, 1996 at their institution with the aim of defining and classifying the malformations according to the method of Pang, et al. Methods. Computerized tomography myelography was superior to other radiological tools in defining the type of SSCM. There were 46 girls (62%) and 28 boys (38%) ranging in age from less than 1 day to 12 years (mean 33.08 months). The mean age (43.2 months) of the patients who exhibited neurological deficits and orthopedic deformities was significantly older than those (8.2 months) without deficits (p = 0.003). Fifty-two patients had a single Type I and 18 patients a single Type II SSCM; four patients had composite SSCMs. Sixty-two patients had at least one associated spinal lesion that could lead to spinal cord tethering. After surgery, the majority of the patients remained stable and clinical improvement was observed in 18 patients. Conclusions. The classification of SSCMs proposed by Pang, et al., will eliminate the current chaos in terminology. In all SSCMs, either a rigid or a fibrous septum was found to transfix the spinal cord. There was at least one unrelated lesion that caused tethering of the spinal cord in 85% of the patients. The risk of neurological deficits resulting from SSCMs increases with the age of the patient; therefore, all patients should be surgically treated when diagnosed, especially before the development of orthopedic and neurological manifestations.

Intradural spinal endoscopy in children

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua J. Chern ◽  
Amber S. Gordon ◽  
Robert P. Naftel ◽  
R. Shane Tubbs ◽  
W. Jerry Oakes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Brain Tumors ◽  
Arachnoid Cyst ◽  
Spinal Cord Tumor ◽  
Split Cord Malformation ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
Pediatric Spine ◽  
Spinal Cord Malformation ◽  
Wide Acceptance ◽  
Surgical Adjunct

Intracranial endoscopy in the treatment of hydrocephalus, arachnoid cysts, or brain tumors has gained wide acceptance, but the use of endoscopy for intradural navigation in the pediatric spine has received much less attention. The aim of the authors' present study was to analyze their experience in using spinal endoscopy to treat various pathologies of the spinal canal. The authors performed a retrospective review of intradural spinal endoscopic cases at their institution. They describe 4 representative cases, including an arachnoid cyst, intrinsic spinal cord tumor, holocord syrinx, and split cord malformation. Intradural spinal endoscopy was useful in treating the aforementioned lesions. It resulted in a more limited laminectomy and myelotomy, and it assisted in identifying a residual spinal cord tumor. It was also useful in the fenestration of a multilevel arachnoid cyst and in confirming communication of fluid spaces in the setting of a complex holocord syrinx. Endoscopy aided in the visualization of the spinal cord to ensure the absence of tethering in the case of a long-length Type II split spinal cord malformation. Conclusions Based on their experience, the authors found intradural endoscopy to be a useful surgical adjunct and one that helped to decrease morbidity through reduced laminectomy and myelotomy. With advances in technology, the authors believe that intradural endoscopy will begin to be used by more neurosurgeons for treating diseases of this anatomical region.

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