Neuro - Spinal Cord Diseases Flashcards
What clinical signs are associated with limb dysfunction?
ataxia, hypermetria, paresis, and plegia
What are our top differentials for spinal diseases?
Intervertebral disease, trauma (external), neoplasia, myelitis/meningitis, vascular, diskospondylitis/osteomyelitis, and syringmyelia
What are the key diagnostics for spinal diseases?
Radiographs, advanced imaging (MR), and CSF analysis
What is the most common spinal disease in dogs and cats?
intervertebral disk disease
Does intervertebral disease focus on a specific portion of the spinal cord?
no - it can affect any region of the spinal cord
Is intervertebral disk disease typically painful?
It can be painful or nonpainful
What are the two forms of intervertebral disk disease?
type I - chondroid metaplasia and type II - fibroid metaplasia
Chondroid metaplasia is an acute/chronic process that is associated with extrusions/protrusions.
acute, extrusions
Fibroid metaplasia is an acute/chronic process that is associated with extrusions/protrusions.
chronic, protrusions
What is degenerative myelopathy?
progressive degeneration of the spinal cord
What breeds have a higher incidence of degenerative myelopathy?
German Shepherds, Boxers, and Corgis
Where do clinical signs of degenerative myelopathy originate?
in the pelvic limbs
True or false: Degenerative myelopathy is a non-painful degenerative disease.
TRUE
How will degenerative myelopathy look on MR?
normal
What will the CSF of patients with degenerative myelopathy show?
it will be normal - it may show increased protein
What is often an incidental finding on radiographs of patients with degenerative myelopathy?
spondylosis deformans
In patients with fibrocartilaginous emboli, what are clinical signs often associated with?
exercise
Is fibrocartilaginous emboli a painful or nonpainful spinous disease?
non-painful
Are clinical signs associated with fibrocartilaginous emboli symmetric or asymmetric?
asymmetric
What other spinous disease process is fibrocartilaginous emboli clinically indistinguishable from?
traumatic disk disease
What are extradural neoplasias?
They are tumors of structures surrounding the spinal cord
What are intradural/extramedullary neoplasias?
neoplasias involving the meninges
What are intramedullary neoplasias?
neoplasias that arise from within the spinal cord tissues
True or False: Clinical signs associated with spinal cord neoplasias can be acute in onset.
true
What is myelitis?
inflammation of the spinal cord
What is meningitis of the spinal cord?
inflammation of the spinal cord and the meninges
Describe how the clinical signs are in patients with myelitis.
They may be diffuse and are often associated with pain
Myelitis can be infectious or non-infectious. What can cause infectious myelitis in dogs?
distemper or toxo
Myelitis can be infectious or non-infectious. What can cause infectious myelitis in cats?
toxo or FIP
Where do you want to collect CSF in myelitis suspect cases?
caudal to where the main problem is - safer
What is a consistent clinical sign with diskospondylitis?
pain - either focal or diffuse
Aside from pain, what clinical findings may be associated with diskospondylitis?
may have systemic signs, fever, and an inflammatory leukogram
What is diskospondylitis?
infection within the disk space due to bacterial or fungal causes
What bacteria is associated with diskospondylitis?
Staph, E. coli, and Brucella
What is done to diagnose diskospondylitis?
radiographs, blood/urine culture (to determine the infectious cause), and direct culture
What will diskospondylitis look like radiographically?
there will be lysis of the end plate and hyperostosis
When is the onset of clinical signs due to trauma to the spinal cord?
acute onset
What kind of injuries does exogenous trauma cause to the spinal cord?
fractures, luxations, and sub-luxations
What shouldn’t be done if you have a patient that has had trauma to the spinal cord?
you shouldn’t make things worse by moving
Are radiographs helpful in evaluating trauma to the spinal cord?
Yes they can be helpful but they may not show all of the injuries. Remember, radiographs only show where the vertebra are now, not how far they have traveled
What is syringomyelia?
fluid filled cavities within the spinal cord
What can syringomyelia result from?
Other primary disease that affects the spinal cord and often results from pathophysiology often at the caudal skull region
What clinical signs are associated with syringomyelia?
none - many dogs are asymptomatic
Who is the poster child for Wobbler’s syndrome?
middle to older aged doberman and young large breed dog
What is Wobbler’s syndrome?
cervical vertebral malformation/malarticulation and compression
What kind of myelopathy is Wobbler’s syndrome?
stenotic myelopathy
Where is Wobbler’s syndrome usually located?
the caudal cervical area
Early on which limbs are typically involved/affected in patients with Wobbler’s syndrome?
the pelvic limbs
Is Wobbler’s an acute or chronic process?
chronic
What clinical signs are associated with Wobbler’s syndrome?
ataxia and paresis
Is pain associated with Wobbler’s syndrome?
It is sometimes a feature, however it is inconsistent
What diagnostic tool is used to demonstrate compression in patients with Wobbler’s syndrome?
advanced imaging (MR)
What breeds commonly get atlantoaxial instability?
smaller breeds, often younger
What is atlantoaxial instability?
malformation/instability at C1-C2 articulation - likely congenital or genetic, but trauma can cause this as well
What diagnostic tool is helpful for diagnosing atlantoaxial instability?
radiographs and MR imaging for a complete diagnosis
What is lumbosacral disease also known as?
cauda equina syndrome
Is lumbosacral disease painful or not painful?
it is very painful
What disease processes can cause lumbosacral disease?
any disease can occur there - tumor, diskospondylitis, and traumatic injury
Where is degenerative lumbosacral disease localized?
at the LS junction
What other disease process is often associated with degenerative lumbosacral disease?
degenerative IVD
What is the most common clinical sign of degenerative lumbosacral disease?
pain
What clinical signs are rare with degenerative lumbosacral disease?
paresis
