부산대학교 도서관

Simple Summary: Sudden onset hind limb weakness and incoordination with or without back pain is common in dogs. As certain diagnoses tend to present with a characteristic clinical picture, this study aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of managing canine patients with conditions such as intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) and so-called fibrocartilaginous embolism (FCE) or spinal stroke with clinical reasoning alone (i.e., without the aid of relatively costly three-dimensional imaging). By searching the database of the Queen's Veterinary School Hospital (Cambridge), 139 dogs with initially suspected IVDD or FCE in their back were retrieved. The cases were divided into two groups based on suspected diagnosis. A total of 81% of cases with suspected compressive IVDD (not confirmed with imaging) had a successful outcome. A further 16% had the diagnosis confirmed with imaging and subsequent successful outcome, whilst just 3% had a different diagnosis or were euthanised without imaging. A total of 94% of suspected FCE or non-compressive IVDD cases had a successful outcome, and just one was euthanised due to failure to recover. Successful outcomes can be obtained by using clinical reasoning alone in most dogs with suspected acute IVDD or FCE. Acute thoracolumbar myelopathy is a common neurological presentation in dogs. Although certain spinal conditions present with characteristic clinical pictures, managing such cases with clinical reasoning alone (i.e., without cross-sectional imaging) has never been explored. The aim of this study was to define the outcome of patients with suspected intervertebral disc extrusion (IVDE), ischaemic myelopathy (IM) or acute non-compressive nucleus pulposus extrusion (ANNPE) that were managed with clinical reasoning alone. The database of the Queen's Veterinary School Hospital (Cambridge) was searched for paraparetic or paraplegic dogs with suspected IVDE or IM/ANNPE that were initially managed medically without undergoing imaging. Clinical presentation and outcome were recorded. If cross-sectional imaging was subsequently performed, information about the final diagnosis was collected and compared with the initially suspected diagnosis. A total of 123 IVDE cases were collected: 81% had a successful outcome with no imaging performed; 16% had IVDE confirmed with imaging and successful outcome with surgery or medical management; and just 3% were found to have an alternative diagnosis or were euthanised without imaging. A total of 16 IM/ANNPE cases were collected: 94% had a successful outcome, and one dog was euthanised. Successful outcomes can be obtained by using clinical reasoning alone in most dogs with suspected IVDE or IM/ANNPE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]