Fibrocartilaginous embolism associated with the extrusion of the intervertebral disc in a dog / Embolismo fibrocartilaginoso associado à extrusão do disco intervertebral em cão

ABSTRACT

Background: Intervertebral disc disease is a usual neurological disorder in dogs, which the spinal cord is compressed by intervertebral disc extrusion or protrusion. Fibrocartilaginous embolic myelopathy isan acute infarction disease of spinal cord caused by fibrocartilaginous emboli histologically identical to the nucleus pulposus of intervertebral discs. The aim of this report is present two cases of fibrocartilaginous embolic myelopathy in dogs with intervertebral disc disease. Cases Two dogs - dachshund breed - were referred to the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital of the UFSM. In the first case, the dog was three years old and the owner described complete inability to move the pelvic limbs. The neurological examination revealed paraplegia, postural reactions deficits, normal spinal reflexes and muscle tonus in the hind limbs, pain on palpation in T12-T11 region and loss of deep pain in hind limbs. In the other case, the dog was seven years old and the owner described partial inability to move four limbs. The neurological examination revealed non-ambulatory tetraparesis, postural reactions deficit, normal spinal reflexes in four limbs and pain on palpation in cervical spine. In both cases, the presumptive diagnosis was intervertebral disc disease and surgical treatment was indicated. The dog with thoracolumbar injury died during the anesthesia and the dog with cervical [...]