Semina: Ciências Agrárias (Sep 2014)

Lumbar myelography in the diagnosis of thoracolumbar intervertebral disk extrusion in dogs: prospective study

  • Paulo Vinicius Tertuliano Marinho ,
  • Bruno Watanabe Minto ,
  • Carolina Camargo Zani ,
  • Érica Siqueira de Souza ,
  • Nathália Helena Pereira da Silva Dal Pietro ,
  • João Augusto Leonel de Souza ,
  • Júlio Carlos Canola,
  • Andrigo Barboza De Nardi

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5433/1679-0359.2014v35n4p1871
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 35, no. 4
pp. 1871 – 1880

Abstract

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Thoracolumbar disk extrusion is the most common cause of extradural compression of the spinal cord in dogs. Myelography is one of the most commonly performed techniques for the diagnosis of this affection. This study aimed to evaluate the applicability and effectiveness of lumbar myelography in the diagnosis of thoracolumbar intervertebral disk extrusion in dogs, as well as its major complications. Twenty dogs were used in this study. Animals were included when neurological examination suggested thoracolumbar spine lesion, myelography was used as a complementary diagnostic method, and diagnosis of disk extrusion was surgically confirmed. The accuracy of the exam to predict location and lateralization of extruded disk material were evaluated, as well as complications associated to the procedure. Lumbar myelography exhibited 95% and 60% accuracy for location and lateralization of the lesion, respectively, with minimal complications.

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