Contrast radiographic findings in canine bacterial discospondylitis: a multicenter, retrospective study of 27 cases

Abstract

A multicenter, retrospective study was undertaken to evaluate contrast radiographic findings in canine bacterial discospondylitis. Records and myelograms or epidurograms of 27 patients were obtained from five colleges of veterinary medicine. Fifteen cases (56%) were evaluated as having some degree of spinal cord compression. The majority (73.3%) of the cases had only soft tissue as the compressive mass. The median compression for all cases was 5% of the vertebral canal. No difference was noted for compression based on anatomical site (i.e., cervical versus thoracolumbar versus lumbosacral). No significant correlation between degree of lesion compression and clinical outcome was noted, but there was a trend toward increased mortality with greater compression. There was no correlation between the ambulatory status and the ultimate outcome. Three of the 15 (20%) cases showed vertebral subluxation. Results of this study indicate that static spinal cord compression is not a significant component of the neurological dysfunction associated with bacterial discospondylitis. Identification of vertebral subluxation in some patients may indicate a dynamic lesion that should be evaluated with stress radiography.

Clinical features and magnetic resonance imaging characteristics of diskospondylitis in dogs: 23 cases (1997–2010)

“…Veterinary reports 10,23 have documented male dogs to be twice as likely as female dogs to be affected. No sex predilection was noted in this case series, with males and females being equally affected.…”

“…Lateral and ventrodorsal projections of the spine may reveal a loss of definition of the vertebral end plate margins, narrowing or collapse of the intervertebral disk space, and various degrees and combinations of endplate lysis, sclerosis, and bony proliferation. 1,[8][9][10]24,25 The use of MRI in the diagnosis of diskospondylitis in dogs has been infrequently reported in the veterinary literature. 3,23,24 Thus, acutely affected patients may have equivocal or even normal radiographic findings, as in a study 2 performed in 2001.…”

Medical management of spinal epidural empyema in five dogs

“…1 Spinal cord or cauda equina compression was considered mild (median, 20%; range, 5% to 35%) in all dogs except dog 1, which had moderate (50%) compression.…”

Paraparesis in an Adult Alpaca with Discospondylitis

“…[10][11][12][13][14][15][16] Discospondylitis can be caused by local bacterial infection after hematogenous spread of organisms from infected sites elsewhere in the body, e.g., after direct injury to a vertebral endplate or intervertebral disc causing vascular disruption and increased susceptibility to infection. The infectious process starts either in the vertebral body or in the intervertebral disc, with subsequent spreading to the adjacent tissue.…”