Imaging: Nonambulatory 1-year-old Golden Retriever

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3 replies
  1. Mr Angel Hernandez
    Mr Angel Hernandez says:

    Intramedullary tumor? there is intramedullar mass that enhances after IV contrast. Other differentials granuloma (toxo, fungic), UOM (ganulomatous), ,

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  2. neuropetvet
    neuropetvet says:

    It’s sometimes difficult to determine whether the lesion is intradural-extramedullary or intramedullary. In this case, I was leaning more toward an intradural mass. At this age (1 year old) and in this location, the most likely differential diagnosis is a nephroblastoma. Other neoplasms are also possible, including lymphoma, histiocytic sarcoma, etc. Meningioma and nerve sheath tumors are differentials also, but very uncommon in 1 year old dogs. A focal granuloma (protozoal, fungal) or non-infectious inflammatory condition would be other considerations. The owners initially did not want to pursue surgery because the dog was still weakly ambulatory and the owners had some financial constraints, so we sent him home on activity restriction, tapering prednisone, and pain medications. Unfortunately, the dog got worse and they called in the evening on the last day of my work week. They reported that he was no longer walking. They decided to go forward with surgery. I agreed to come in the following morning on my day off to do the surgery, but by then he had progressed to paraplegia with absent nociception in both pelvic limbs and the tail. At that point, the owners decided not to pursue surgery after all and took him home for hospice care.

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