Clinicopathologic and imaging features of a primary poorly differentiated extradural haemangiosarcoma with polyostotic vertebral involvement and pulmonary metastases in a dog

Abstract

AbstractAn 8‐year‐old, Staffordshire bull terrier was referred for a progressive 8‐week history of left pelvic limb paresis, postural reaction deficits, perineal hypoalgesia and lumbosacral pain. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a L5–Cd1 circumferential T1‐weighted isointense, T2‐weighted/short Tau inversion recovery hyperintense extradural mass, causing severe spinal cord compression with multifocal lesions of L5–L7 vertebral bodies and extension to paraspinal musculature. Unlike previous reports, both vertebral and epidural lesions showed heterogeneous contrast enhancement, while adjacent paraspinal musculature showed mild ill‐defined enhancement. Computed tomography revealed pulmonary metastases and excluded primary lesion elsewhere. An epidural neoplasm with polyostotic vertebral involvement and pulmonary metastases was suspected. Dorsal laminectomy allowed for decompression and excisional biopsy confirming a diagnosis of poorly differentiated haemangiosarcoma. Haemangiosarcoma should be considered as a differential for primary extradural spinal neoplasia.