Relevance of Myelography in Diagnosis of Subarachnoid Hematoma in a Rottweiler with Traumatic Cervical Subluxation – Case Report

Abstract

Traumatic luxation or subluxation of the cervical vertebrae can cause unstable spinal injuries, such trauma has the potential to disrupt the subarachnoid blood vessel and produce hematoma that will compress the spinal cord. Being located in the soft tissue of the marrow that hematoma will be impossible to examine through conventional radiography. A 1 year, Rottweiler dog was brought for radiography examination presenting neck pain and tetra paresis. Radiographic exposures were done in lateral and dorso-ventral recumbency to examine the cervical vertebrae. Cervical myelography was done using contrast agent Optiray 350 (Ioversol, manufactured by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals), 0,5 ml/kg. The contrast agent was injected in the cervical area in occipito-athloidian space. Conventional radiography shows a normal aspect of the cervical vertebrae without any sign of fractures. It was observed a narrowing of the space between occipital and atlas. Puncture of the cervical area of the spine show no cerebrospinal fluid. Injection of the contrast agent was done easily. Myelography was performed at intervals of 2 minutes. Myelography revealed a filling defect in the dorsal part of the marrow caudally of the atlas that corresponded to a hematoma. Myelography is useful in determining the filling defects due to blood clot formation on the marrow after a posttraumatic event. Â