title: Computed tomographic characteristics of acute thoracolumbar intervertebral disc disease in dogs.
abstract: Forty canine patients with a presumptive diagnosis of the intervertebral disc herniation at the thoracolumbar region were imaged. A neurological examination was performed and all patients were classified under four grades by the examination. The degrees of attenuation of the herniated disc material were measured in Housefield units (HU) in each image. The ratio of the area to herniated disc material and the height to disc material were measured. The clinical grade was correlated with the area ratio of the herniated disc material to the spinal cord, but not correlated with the height ratio of that. In the patients with epidural hemorrhage at surgery, HUs of the herniated disc material was lower than those with no epidural hemorrhage at surgery. Noncontrast computed tomography scans of the spine can be useful in diagnosing acute intervertebral disc disease in chondrodystrophoid breeds, evaluating patient status and identifying concurrent epidural hemorrhage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medical Imaging, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Changyun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Oh-Kyeong
authors.initials: OK
authors.lastname: Kweon
authors.forename: Min-Cheol
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jihye
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Junghee
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yoon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D004285:Dogs; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000662:veterinary*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards / Q000662:veterinary*