Hérnia de disco sequestrada em cão / Sequestered disc herniation in dog

ABSTRACT

Background: Dogs are frequently affected by intervertebral disc degeneration, a structural failure associated with changesaccelerated by aging. Disc degeneration may occur in the presence or absence of clinical signs, which are variable andcommon to other spinal cord diseases and therefore early diagnosis is crucial to a successful outcome. Treatment may beconservative or surgical according to severity of the clinical signs and should be combined with a rehabilitation protocol.Prognosis depends on the location of the spinal cord compression, volume and velocity of the disc material herniation andtime between initial clinical signs, definitive diagnosis and therapeutic approach.Case A nonchondrodystrophic 14-year-old dog with acute clinical manifestation of paraparesis and proprioceptive deficitin hind limbs was submitted to myelography examination. There was contrast column deviation in the T13-L1 region,determining spinal compression, and spondyloses were also noted in several thoracolumbar vertebrae. Hemilaminectomywas performed with complete removal of the compressor fragment. Histological analysis confirmed the presence of fibrocartilaginous material that corresponds to the part of the annulus fibrosus. The kidnap of the fragment was characterizedby loss of continuity with the remaining disk. In these cases, magnetic resonance imaging does provides the definitivediagnosis, since neoplasm, arachnoid cysts and abscesses may be remaining differential diagnosis. Therefore, surgical approach followed by histopathological analysis of the obtained material are necessary to confirm the diagnosis.Discussion: The present report differs from most cases of disc herniation because it is a thoracolumbar lesion with an acutemanifestation of significant neurological deficit in an elderly dog of non-chondrodystophic...