Foramen Magnum Decompression with Duraplasty Using Lyoplant® for Caudal Occipital Malformation Syndrome in a Dog

A 3-year-old castrated male Maltese dog, weighing 4.8 kg was referred with hindlimb ataxia and right forelimb proprioceptive deficits were shown for 20 months. Chiari-like malformation and syringomyelia diagnosed through MRI at a local animal hospital and Knuckling of right forelimb and reluctance to walk were managed with steroid. The medical management was getting ineffective to manage for the symptoms one month before referred. Physical and neurological examinations, radiography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging were performed and diagnoses of caudal occipital malformation syndrome (COMS) and subsequent syringomyelia (SM) were made. Given that pharmacological treatment was previously ineffective, surgical intervention was recommended. Foramen magnum decompression with duraplasty using $Lyoplant^{(R)}$ was performed. Three days post-surgery, the dog showed improved gait and activity. After 2 months, the dog received no additional prescription medications. At the 12-month follow-up after surgery, the dog showed no clinical problems or recurrences, despite complete cessation of pharmacological treatment. In present report, we applied $Lyoplant^{(R)}$ as a dural graft has been carried out in a dog with COMS. Surgical decompression with $Lyoplant^{(R)}$ was an effective long-term (12-month) treatment for COMS without the need for any pharmacological treatment.