Abstract
BackgroundSubarachnoid cysts are rare conditions in veterinary medicine, associated with spinal cord dysfunction. Most of the 100 cases of subarachnoid cysts described since the first report in 1968 were apparently not true cysts. Reported cysts are usually situated in the cervical area and occur in predisposed breeds such as the Rottweiler. The purpose of this retrospective study, from May 2003 to April 2012, was to describe the distinctive features of thoracolumbar spinal subarachnoid cysts, together with their surgical treatment and outcome in 6 chondrodystrophic dogs.ResultsFive Pugs and 1 French Bulldog were examined. Images suggestive of a subarachnoid cyst were obtained by myelography (2/6) and computed tomography myelography (4/6), and associated disc herniation was observed in 3/6 dogs. A hemilaminectomy was performed. The protruding disc eventually found in 5/6 dogs was treated by lateral corpectomy. The ventral leptomeningeal adhesions observed in all dogs after durotomy were dissected. No or only mild post-operative neurological degradation was observed. Follow-up studies (7 months to 4 years) indicated good outcome and no recurrence.ConclusionsAll the thoracolumbar subarachnoid cysts described in these 6 chondrodystrophic dogs were associated with leptomeningeal adhesions. Good results seemed to be obtained by dissecting and removing these adhesions. A protruding disc, found here in 5/6 dogs, needs to be ruled out and can be treated by lateral corpectomy.
Highlights
Subarachnoid cysts are rare conditions in veterinary medicine, associated with spinal cord dysfunction
Subarachnoid cysts (SAC) have been described as rare conditions in veterinary medicine, associated with spinal cord dysfunction, but seem to be increasing in frequency, with almost 100 new cases described since the first report by Gage et al in 1968 [1]
Leptomeningeal adhesions, resulting from chronic microtraumas associated with vertebral instability or with features associated with vertebral instability, can further enlarge the subarachnoid space and could have been a significant factor in spinal cord compression and dysfunction in our 6 chondrodystrophic dogs
Summary
Subarachnoid cysts are rare conditions in veterinary medicine, associated with spinal cord dysfunction. The purpose of this retrospective study, from May 2003 to April 2012, was to describe the distinctive features of thoracolumbar spinal subarachnoid cysts, together with their surgical treatment and outcome in 6 chondrodystrophic dogs. Subarachnoid cysts (SAC) have been described as rare conditions in veterinary medicine, associated with spinal cord dysfunction, but seem to be increasing in frequency, with almost 100 new cases described since the first report by Gage et al in 1968 [1]. The following three categories have been proposed for human spinal SACs: type I: spinal extradural cysts without spinal nerve root fibre involvement; type II: spinal extradural cysts with nerve root involvement; and type III: spinal intradural meningeal cysts [2].
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