Espinha bífida em canino neonato sem raça definida – relato de caso

Abstract

Spina bifida is a congenital spinal deformity characterized by failure in the fusion of the dorsal vertebral arches. The presente report describes the macrosopic and radiologic findings of this abnormality in a newborn mongrel dog that was the only one in a litter of six puppies to show changes consistent with spina bifida. The animal presented a cleft at at the dorsal region of the lumbosacral área, resulting in exposure and protrusion of the spinal cord. Plain radiographs of the ventral-dorsal projection of the lumbosacral column revealed a defect in the fusion of the dorsal spinous processes of the lumbosacral vertebrae (L1 – S3), while xyphosis of the entire lumbar region of the spine was seen in the right-lateral radiography. Unfortunately, we still do not know an effective treatment for this kind of case, and there are a few studies on embryonic development focused on prevention and treatment of these anomalies. These surveys are necessary to ensure a good prognosis for patients with this genetic abnormality.