Journal of Veterinary Clinics (한국임상수의학회지)

The Korean Society of Veterinary Clinics (한국임상수의학회)
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Magnetic Resonance Imaging Features of Suspected Acute Spinal Cord Infarction in Two Cats

두 마리 고양이에서 발생한 급성 척수 경색의 자기 공명 영상학적 진단 증례

  • Jung, Sun-Young (Department of Veterinary Medical Imaging and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University) ;
  • Kim, Bo-Eun (Department of Veterinary Medical Imaging and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University) ;
  • Ji, Seo-Yeoun (Department of Veterinary Medical Imaging and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University) ;
  • Yoon, Jung-Hee (Department of Veterinary Medical Imaging and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University) ;
  • Choi, Min-Cheol (Department of Veterinary Medical Imaging and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University)
  • Accepted : 2013.08.06
  • Published : 2013.08.31
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Abstract

Spinal cord infarction is becoming recognized as an important cause of acute myelopathy in cats. Although the definitive diagnosis is confirmed through postmortem histopathologic examination, MR imaging features provide valuable informations for the diagnosis of spinal cord infarction. The aim of this report is to describe MR findings of acute spinal cord infarction in two cats and to evaluate usefulness of low field MRI (0.3Tesla) as a potential diagnostic tool of acute spinal cord infarction. A cat (unknown age, neutered male mixed breed cat) was referred one day after the acute onset of non-ambulatory spastic tetraparesis and the other cat (a 9-year-old, neutered female domestic short hair cat) was presented due to the acute onset of non-ambulatory paraparesis and one day later paraplegia. The lesions of the MR images were shown on the spinal cord parenchyma over C2 to C6 in case 1 and L2 to L5 in case 2. The MR images in these two cases were characterized by focal intramedullary lesions, mainly involving grey matter which were hyperintense T2 weighted and FLAIR images and hyperintense on DWI and hypointense on ADC map. The MR findings in both cases were highly suggestive of acute spinal cord infarctions, based upon previous reported small animal cases and human cases. In conclusion, based on MR features, together with the history and clinical examination findings, MRI modality can be used as an antemortem tool for the diagnosis of acute spinal cord infarction in cats.

척수 경색은 고양이에서 급성 척수 병증의 주요한 원인으로써 인식되고 있다. 사후 조직 병리학적 검사를 통해 확진 할 수 있지만 MR 영상학적 특징은 척수 경색의 진단에 가치있는 정보를 제공한다. 본 증례의 목적은 두 마리의 고양이에서 발생한 급성 척수 경색의 영상학적 특징을 설명하고 그 진단에 있어서 low field MRI (0.3 Tesla)의 유용성을 평가하는 것이다. 미확인 연령의 중성화 수컷, mixed breed 고양이가 급성의 사지 부전 마비를 주증으로 내원하였고 9살령의 중성화 암컷 domestic short hair 고양이는 후지 부전 마비로 내원하였으며 하루 후 후지 완전 마비가 나타났다. 이후 실시된 MR 영상에서 첫번째 고양이의 경우 두번째 경추부터 여섯번 째 경추 수준의 척수에서 병변이 분포하였으며 두번째 고양이의 경우 두번째 요추부터 다섯번째 요추 수준에서 병변이 나타났다. 두 고양이에서 공통적으로 주로 회백질에 분포한 척수 실질 내에 국소적인 병변이 확인되었으며 T2 강조 영상 및 FLAIR 영상에서 고신호를 나타내었고 DWI 영상에서 고신호, ADC map 에서는 저신호를 나타내었다. 히스토리, 임상증상 및 다른 실험실적 검사와 함께 MR 영상학적 특징을 통해 두 고양이에서 급성 척수 경색이 진단되었다.

Keywords

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