Neurology 3 Flashcards
What 5 things can occur to cause tetraparesis/tetraplegia?
- Diskospondylitis
- Neoplasia
- Fractures
- Luxations
- FCE
Spinal cord lesions between C1-T2: Cervical disc disease
- Type I–explosive
- 75% chondrodystrophics and Poodles C3-C4
- 25% large breeds (labs, GSD, rott, dob) C5/C7
- Type II
- Dobes/rott at C6/C7 – wobblers
What are the signs of cervical disc disease (C1-T2)?
- 8yrs (2-16)–neck pain (90%); 45% acute
- Won’t move head–brain fine, hyperreflexia
- Tetraparesis–64% - rear worse
- Hemiparesis and tetraplegia (3%)–rare
How do you diagnose cervical disc disease?
Myelogram, calcified discs on rads (can find old calcified discs that aren’t causing the current problem, however–need myelogram to confirm)
What is the treatment for cervical disc disease?
- No deficits–cage rest
- Give time for annulus to repair itself
- NSAIDs/pred
- NSAIDs don’t work very well
- Only use pred when animal is in pain–will slow healing
- Can add diazepam on top of pred as musc. relaxant
- Up to 33% recur
- No improvement/neuro signs = surgery
- 8% recur, 99% walk unassisted
- Much faster recovery than back surgery
- Can fenestrate vertebral body on both sides to lessen chance of recurrence
Cervical spondylomyelopathy
- Canine wobblers
- Cervical malformation-malarticulation syndrome
- Caudal cervical spondylopathy, etc x 14
- Spinal cord compression - esp. > C5/6
What are some specific causes of cervical spondylomyelopathy?
- Stenosis–craniodorsal ridge
- Problem with development, often in Dobermans (most Dob’s have some degree of stenosis)
- Front of vertebra grows more than back–> tipping
- Osteophytes from malformed articular processes
- Instability from vertebrae –> joints move side-to-side –> ligaments tear from bone –> pressure on spinal cord –> dysfunction
- Hansen type II disk: increased lig. flavum
- Dob’s have thicker discs and stenosis –> greater risk
Etiology of cervical spondylomyelopathy?
- Genetics (dob’s, great danes)
- Congenital stenosis/lig laxity
- Rapid growth, over-nutrition
- Abnormal stresses/straint, joint motility/symmetry, cartilage
- Calcitonin
- Static and/or dynamic compression
What are the signs of cervical spondylomyelopathy?
- Great danes 3-18mo: congenital spinosis
- Dobes 5-8 yrs: older–cartilage changes
- Head guarding (won’t move head side-to-side)
- Pelvic signs esp. paresis
- Wobbling, scuffing
- Hypermetria of hind limbs (long strides)
- Front legs can also be affected but might look normal compared to back legs–why postural rxns important
- Thoracic limbs
- Dysmetria, mild CP def.–stiff gait
- Atrophy infra-/supraspinatus, w/drawal
- Can w/draw carpus, can flex elbow; might not be able to operate shoulder
- Neck pain (15%)–nerve roots
- Front legs can become pigeon-toed
How do you diagnose cervical spondylomyelopathy?
- Rads, myelogram (much better)
- Tipping
- Stenosis
- Rounding
- Dec. disc spaces
- Degeneration in articular facets
What will be seen on the myelogram/MRI of a dog with cervical spondylomyelopathy?
- MRI more helpful when have mult. lesions–will show sc edema
- Dorsal comp–lig flavum
- Ventral comp–disc
- Lateral comp–artic facets
- Vertebral tipping–>lesions disappear
- Single <50%
- Multiple <80%
- Traction rads
- No standards, hit or miss, can’t really estimate improvement
Cervical sponylomyelopathy treatment/prognosis?
- Varies–each case is different
- Medical
- Palliative–40, 30, 20
- Condition is progressive
- Surgery
- Decompression
- Distraction-stabilization
- About 1/2 will get better, ~30% will stay the same, and ~20-30% will get worse
- Can’t guarantee surgery will help–can try cage rest first
- Dorsal approach much more difficult w/ more complications than ventral–dogs tend to worsen after sx
What drugs are used for a UMN bladder in dogs with cervical spondylomyelopathy? LMN bladder?
- UMN bladder
- Phenoxybenzamine–musc. relaxant
- Prazosin tamsulosin
- Valium/dantrolene
- LMN bladder
- Phenylpropanolamine
- Bethanecol
Prognosis of cervical spondylomyelopathy
- Disc only = good
- Tetra- = poor
- Guarded in others
- Surgery–80-90% success (?)
- Recurrence/domino 20-40%, 2-3yr
- Must warn owners of more surgery and nursing care
Atlanto-axial subluxation
- Spinal cord compression due to dorsal displacement of the axis
- Large breeds–trauma
- Small breeds–lack of development
- Toy breed dogs: see progressive tetraparesis
- Ligaments can rupture –> spinal cord crushed –> death
What is the best diagnosis for atlanto-axial subluxation?
- Don’t manipulate the neck!!
- Rads best–vd esp. for absence
Signs of atlant-axial subluxation
- Congenital
- Toy/mini breeds
- 6-18 ms (dd cerv discs)
- Neck pain to tetraplegia (resp paralysis)
- Insidious in onset + progressive
- Large breeds: trauma
What is the treatment for atlanto-axial subluxation?
- Hemilaminectomy + wiring/screwing
- 30% failure rate–bones aren’t very strong + small breeds