Lumbosacral disease and neurological bladder dysfunction Flashcards
Name 2 signs of LMN dysfunction
- decreased reflexes
- decreased mm tone
Name 2 signs of UMN dysfunction
- normal/increased reflexes
- normal/ increased mm tone
What is cauda equina syndrma?
- dysfunction of tail, urinary and anal sphincters. Bladder and pelvic limbs affects (sciatic signs)
- L7 caudal nn roots are affected
What is a ddx for cauda equina syndrome?
L4-S3 myelopathy
Ddx - chronic (acute exacerbation), progressive, asymmetrical but not markedly painful L4-S3 myelopathy
- DLSS
- IVDD (another site)
- discospondylitis
- myelitis
- neoplasia
- illiopoas mm injury
- …
What is DLSS?
= Degenerative Lumbosacral stenosis
- multifactoral disorder (combination of soft tissue and/or bony changes causing LS vertebral canal stenosis)
- RESULT = cauda equina +/- L7 nn root compression (pain)
What is discospondylitis?
bacterial infection of the disc space - often febrile
List some soft tissue and bony changes that can cause LS vertebral stenosis?
- intervertebral disk protrusion
- ligamentous hypertrophy
- articular process hypertrophy
- osteophyte formation
- vertebral misalignment
- telescopy dorsal lamina
- transitional vertebra
- lumbosacral osteochondrosis (OCD)
Which animals are affected by DLSS?
- typically adult/ older large breeds
- PREDISPOSITIONS: GSD, active/ working dogs, LS malformations
CS - DLSS
- lumbosacral pain
- pelvic limb lameness (root signature)
- reluctance to jump, run stairs, jump into car
- paraparesis/ ataxia
- low tail carriage, flaccid tail
- urinary and faecal incontinence
- ORTHOPAEDIC EXAM: pain on direct lumbar spinal palpation, pain on hip extension
Where does the pudendal nerve originate?
comes off the sacral nn
How can you differentiate OA/ stifle disease from DLSS/ neuro conditions?
PAW POSITIONING REFLEXES: likely present with OA/ stifle disease and very reduced or absent with neuro disease
Dx - DLSS
IMAGING AND CS (consistent) +/- electrodiagnostics
What does a lumboscaral transitional vertebra in the dog predispose?
8 x increased risk of developing cauda equina syndrome
How useful is myelography?
rarely useful
Method - myelography
- injection of radioopaque contrast into subarachnoid space
- thecal sac generally narrows and ends near LS
- may see attenuation of contrast over LS if severe midline compression
What is the thecal sac?
membrane of dura mater that surrounds SC and cauda equina, filled with CSF
What does CT show as surrounding the cauda equina nerve and thecal sac? How does this change in DLSS
epidural fat surrounds the cauda equina nn and thecal sac, providing a natural source of tissue contrast. In DLSS epidural fat is displaced: confuses differentiation compressive soft tissue and adjacent neural structures.
What does intravenous contrast-enhanced CT show?
discrimination of compressive soft tissues within the vertebral canal
What is the diagnostic imaging modality of choice for DLSS?
MRI (as a T1w image)
- shows displacement of epidural fat around the spinal cord and nn root compression as they come off the cauda equina
Overview - tx of DLSS
Medical or surgical
Medical tx - DLSS
- activity restriction
- +/- anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs)
+/- analgesics
+/- neuromodulatory drugs (gabapentin) - topical corticosteroids (epidural injection)
Sx tx - DLSS
- decompressive laminectomy \+/- discectomy - foraminotomy - stabilisation - distraction + stabilisation
How do electrodiagnostics help in diagnosing DLSS?
MAY assist in determining clinical significance of radigraphic lesions
What do CT findings for DLSS suggest?
that some lumbosacral CT abnormalities may be clinically insignificant, especially in older dogs.
What is discectomy?
excision of protruding annulus fibrosus