Myelo-CT imaging findings in 15 dogs with surgically-treated cervical acute compressive hydrated nucleus pulposus extrusion.
Alba Farré MarinéMarta López BeltranSonia Ortiz NisaAlejandro Luján Feliu-PascualPublished in: Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association (2024)
Compressive hydrated nucleus pulposus extrusion (HNPE) is a sudden extrusion of hydrated, nondegenerated nucleus pulposus material with well-known characteristic MRI findings. The appearance of compressive HNPE during contrast-enhanced CT has already been described, but never its myelo-CT characteristics. The aim of this retrospective multicenter case series is to describe the myelo-CT findings in 15 dogs with compressive HNPE confirmed with gross surgical findings. A distinctive and consistent myelo-CT appearance of cervical compressive HNPE in dogs that included a focal extradural "seagull"-shaped extradural compression dorsal to the annulus fibrosus combined with a narrowing of the affected intervertebral disc space was found. The extruded material was hypoattenuating in the soft tissue algorithm. Myelo-CT could be a useful diagnostic tool and influence the clinical decision to address cervical compressive HNPE conservatively or surgically when MRI is not available.
Keyphrases
- contrast enhanced
- magnetic resonance imaging
- diffusion weighted
- computed tomography
- dual energy
- magnetic resonance
- image quality
- diffusion weighted imaging
- positron emission tomography
- soft tissue
- high resolution
- deep learning
- machine learning
- cross sectional
- intensive care unit
- newly diagnosed
- photodynamic therapy
- liver failure
- hepatitis b virus
- spinal cord injury
- mechanical ventilation
- pet ct