A 3yr 7 month old crossbreed dog presented with peracute onset of paraparesis after a fall, which was immediately followed by crying in pain.

MRI showed that the L3-L4 intervertebral disc was markedly hypointense in T2W and STIR as well as being shorter than normal with a slight irregular shape on its dorsal aspect. From the level of L3-4 and extending to the cranial 1/3 of L3, there is an ill-defined intramedullary lesion, more prominent on the right side and affecting both gray and white matter. The lesion is heterogeneous in all sequences, being of mixed signal intensity in T2W (with a prominent hypointense region, which follows an oblique linear pattern seen on the sagittal views, surrounded by hyperintensity). In T1W this linear lesion is hyperintense on the pre-contrast images, and this corresponds to an evident signal void on T2*. No extradural compression is present. These findings were suggestive of an acute, non-compressive intervertebral disc extrusion, causing severe spinal cord contusion and hemorrhage and with intramedullary disc extrusion also suspected.

Read more about intramedullary disc extrusions in dogs by clicking on the link below.

Courtesy of Dr. Iris van Soens at Evidensia Dierenziekenhuis Hart van Brabant.

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