Magnetic resonance imaging features of suspected acute spinal cord infarction in two cats

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Spinal cord infarction is becoming recognized as an important cause of acute myelopathy in cats. Although the definitive diagnosis is confirmed through postmortem histopathologic examination, MR imaging features provide valuable informations for the diagnosis of spinal cord infarction. The aim of this report is to describe MR findings of acute spinal cord infarction in two cats and to evaluate usefulness of low field MRI (0.3Tesla) as a potential diagnostic tool of acute spinal cord infarction. A cat (unknown age, neutered male mixed breed cat) was referred one day after the acute onset of non-ambulatory spastic tetraparesis and the other cat (a 9-year-old, neutered female domestic short hair cat) was presented due to the acute onset of non-ambulatory paraparesis and one day later paraplegia. The lesions of the MR images were shown on the spinal cord parenchyma over C2 to C6 in case 1 and L2 to L5 in case 2. The MR images in these two cases were characterized by focal intramedullary lesions, mainly involving grey matter which were hyperintense T2 weighted and FLAIR images and hyperintense on DWI and hypointense on ADC map. The MR findings in both cases were highly suggestive of acute spinal cord infarctions, based upon previous reported small animal cases and human cases. In conclusion, based on MR features, together with the history and clinical examination findings,MRI modality can be used as an antemortem tool for the diagnosis of acute spinal cord infarction in cats.

참고문헌 (Reference)

1 김여군, "The Role of Diffusion-Weighted MRI in Differentiation of Idiopathic Acute Transverse Myelitis and Acute Spinal Cord Infarction" 대한영상의학회 65 (65): 101-108, 2011

2 Simonson T, "Stroke and cerebral ischemia. Clinical magnetic resonance imaging, 2nd ed" WB Saunders 767-773, 1996

3 Platt S, "Small animal neurological emergencies" Manson Publishing 333-340, 2012

4 Luo CB, "Magnetic resonance imaging as a guide in the diagnosis and follow-up of spinal cord infarction" 66 : 89-95, 2003

5 Abramson CJ, "Magnetic resonance imaging appearance of suspected ischemic myelopathy in dogs" 46 : 225-229, 2005

6 Gass A, "MRI of spinal cord infarction" 54 : 2195-, 2000

7 Major AC, "Imaging diagnosis-magnetic resonance imaging findings in a dog with sequential brain infarction" 53 : 576-580, 2012

8 Gandini G, "Fibrocartilaginous embolism in 75 dogs: clinical findings and factors influencing the recovery rate" 44 : 76-80, 2003

9 De Risio L, "Fibrocartilaginous embolic myelopathy in small animals" 40 : 859-, 2010

10 Mikszewski JS, "Fibrocartilaginous embolic myelopathy in five cats" 42 : 226-233, 2006

11 Bammer R, "Diffusionweighted MR imaging of the spinal cord" 21 : 587-591, 2000

12 Thurnher MM, "Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of the spine and spinal cord" 41 : 294-311, 2006

13 Küker W, "Diffusion-weighted MRI of spinal cord infarction" 251 : 818-824, 2004

14 Schaefer PW, "Diffusion-weighted MR Imaging of the Brain" 217 : 331-345, 2000

15 Theobald A, "Clinical outcome in 19 cats with clinical and magnetic resonance imaging diagnosis of ischaemic myelopathy (2000- 2011)" 15 : 132-141, 2013

16 De Risio L, "Association of clinical and magnetic resonance imaging findings with outcome in dogs with presumptive acute noncompressive nucleus pulposus extrusion : 42 cases(2000-2007)" 234 : 495-504, 2009

17 Lu D, "Acute intervertebral disc extrusion in a cat: clinical and MRI findings" 4 : 65-68, 2002

18 Cornelis L. Alblas, "Acute Spinal-Cord Ischemia: Evolution of MRI Findings" 대한신경과학회 8 (8): 218-223, 2012