Dura mater marsupialisation and outcome in a cat with a spinal subarachnoid pseudocyst: a case report

Abstract

A six-month-old male domestic shorthair cat was referred with a history of acute-onset paraplegia, over the previous two months. The neurological examination revealed a thoracolumbar lesion. After myelography and myelo-computed tomography (myelo-CT), the diagnosis of a T13-L1 subarachnoid pseudocyst potentially related to a previous L1 vertebral body fracture or malformation was made. Surgical decompression consisted in dorsal laminectomy followed by durotomy and marsupialisation. Immediately after surgery the cat improved neurologically and showed progressive improvement of his neurological signs over the next few months, until he died, from unrelated causes, approximately 18 months after surgery. Case descriptionA six-month-old male domestic short hair cat with a two month history of acute paraplegia, was referred to the Teaching

Lumbar spinal arachnoid diverticulum in a cat

“…9,10 Mostly affected sites are the thoracolumbar spinal cord, followed by the cervical area. [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] Cervical myelopathy due to SAD is reported in two cats. In one cat, previous IVDD spinal trauma was suspected to be the cause of SAD formation, and in the other cat, FIP was associated with SAD formation extending from the obex to C3.…”

“…[8][9][10][11][12]15 SAD was associated with prior meningeal irritation due to IVDD, 8 osteodystrophy and spinal malformation, 9 spondylarthrosis of the facet joints, 10 vertebral subluxation 11 and vertebral fracture. 12 Thus, SAD was classified in those cases as acquired. Surgical management was elected for spinal decompression in the majority of the cases through hemilaminectomy, dorsal or lateral laminectomy, followed by durotomy and/or durectomy and SAD drainage, and is some of the cases dura mater marsupialisation.…”

“…Surgical management was elected for spinal decompression in the majority of the cases through hemilaminectomy, dorsal or lateral laminectomy, followed by durotomy and/or durectomy and SAD drainage, and is some of the cases dura mater marsupialisation. 8,[10][11][12]15 One cat was euthanased due to owner's request without any treatment. 9 In three case reports, decompressive surgery was conducted successfully, and no recurrence of SAD was reported.…”

“…9 In three case reports, decompressive surgery was conducted successfully, and no recurrence of SAD was reported. 8,12,15 In two case reports, recurrence was reported 2 years and almost 4 years after the initial SAD diagnosis and surgical treatment. 10,11 Successful recovery was noted after a second spinal decompression in one of the cases, and 6 months after the second surgery no recurrence was reported but ataxia was still present.…”

“…[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] In two cats, SAD was located in the cervical area of the spinal cord, 13,14 and in six cases in the thoracolumbar area of the spinal cord between T3 and L2 vertebrae. [8][9][10][11][12]15 In most of the feline cases, SAD was attributed to acquired causes such as spinal trauma, and feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) virus in one single case report, which extended from the obex to C3 vertebra. 14 To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of SAD in the lumbar spine of a cat between the fifth and sixth lumbar vertebrae.…”