Thoracic spinal calcinosis circumscripta causing cord compression in two German shepherd dog littermates

Vet Rec. 1992 Jun 27;130(26):575-8. doi: 10.1136/vr.130.26.575.

Abstract

Two young German shepherd dog littermates had progressive, painless, hindlimb ataxia. In both dogs plain radiography of the vertebral column revealed a solitary mineralised lesion on the dorsal laminae between the dorsal spines of the second and third thoracic vertebrae, and myelography with iopamidol demonstrated cord compression at the level of the lesions. The first dog died 18 hours after the myelography. A dorsal laminectomy performed in the second dog resulted in neurological improvement. A histopathological examination confirmed that both lesions were calcinosis circumscripta. The cause of the death of the first dog was meningitis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Calcinosis / complications
  • Calcinosis / surgery
  • Calcinosis / veterinary*
  • Dog Diseases / etiology*
  • Dog Diseases / surgery
  • Dogs
  • Laminectomy / veterinary
  • Male
  • Myelography / veterinary
  • Spinal Cord Compression / etiology
  • Spinal Cord Compression / surgery
  • Spinal Cord Compression / veterinary*
  • Spinal Diseases / complications
  • Spinal Diseases / surgery
  • Spinal Diseases / veterinary*
  • Thoracic Vertebrae*