Clinical signs, causes, and outcome of central cord syndrome in 22 cats.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the signalment, clinical findings, presumptive or definitive diagnosis, and outcome in cats with central cord syndrome (CCS). ANIMALS: 22 cats. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: Cats evaluated for CCS at 7 referral hospitals between 2017 and 2021 were included. Information retrieved from medical records included signalment, physical and neurological examination findings, diagnostic investigations, definitive or presumptive diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. RESULTS: Median age at presentation was 9 years. Two neuroanatomical localizations were associated with CCS: C1-C5 spinal cord segments in 17 (77.3%) cats and C6-T2 spinal cord segments in 5 (22.7%) cats. Neuroanatomical localization did not correlate with lesion location on MRI in 8 (36.3%) cats. The most common lesion location within the vertebral column was over the C2 and C4 vertebral bodies in 6 (27.2%) and 5 (22.7%) cats, respectively. Peracute clinical signs were observed in 11 (50%) cats, acute in 1 (4.5%), subacute in 4 (18%), and chronic and progressive signs were seen in 6 (40.9%) cats. The most common peracute condition was ischemic myelopathy in 8 (36.3%) cats, whereas neoplasia was the most frequently identified chronic etiology occurring in 5 (22.7%) cats. Outcome was poor in 13 (59%) cats, consisting of 4 of 11 (36.6%) of the peracute cases, 3 of 4 (75%) of the subacute cases, and 6 of 6 of the chronic cases. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Central cord syndrome can occur in cats with lesions in the C1-C5 and C6-T2 spinal cord segments. Multiple etiologies can cause CCS, most commonly, ischemic myelopathy and neoplasia. Prognosis depends on the etiology and onset of clinical signs.

Use of Three-Dimensional Printing Models for Veterinary Medical Education: Impact on Learning How to Identify Canine Vertebral Fractures.

Vertebral fractures and luxations are common causes of neurological emergencies in small-animal patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of three-dimensional printing (3Dp) models on how veterinary students understand and learn to identify canine spinal fractures and to compare 3Dp models to computed tomography (CT) images and three-dimensional CT (3D-CT) reconstructions. Three spinal fracture models were generated by 3Dp. Sixty first-year veterinary students were randomized into three teaching module groups (CT, 3D-CT, or 3Dp) and asked to answer a multiple-choice questionnaire with 12 questions that covered normal spinal anatomy and the identification of vertebral fractures. We used four additional questions to evaluate the overall learning experience and knowledge acquisition. Results showed that students in the 3Dp group performed significantly better than those in the CT (p < .001) and the 3D-CT (p < .001) groups. Students in the 3Dp and 3D-CT groups answered all questions more quickly than the CT group (3Dp versus CT, p < .001; 3D-CTversus CT, p < .001), with no significant differences between the 3Dp and 3D-CT groups (p = .051). Only the degree of knowledge acquisition that the students considered they had acquired during the session showed significant differences between groups (p = .01). In conclusion, across first-year veterinary students, 3Dp models facilitated learning about normal canine vertebral anatomy and markedly improved the identification of canine spinal fractures. Three-dimensional printing models are an easy and inexpensive teaching method that could be incorporated into veterinary neuroanatomy classes to improve learning in undergraduate students.