title: Chronic hypertrophic ganglioneuritis mimicking spinal nerve neoplasia: clinical, imaging, pathologic findings, and outcome after surgical treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report the clinical, imaging, pathologic findings, surgical planning, and long-term outcome after surgery in a dog with neurologic deficits because of a hypertrophic ganglioneuritis that compressed the spinal cord.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical report.
  
  
  METHODS
  An 8-year-old male intact Yorkshire terrier.
  
  
  METHODS
  The dog had ambulatory tetraparesis and neurologic examination was consistent with a C1-C5 myelopathy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed enlargement of the left C2 spinal nerve causing compression of the spinal cord. The main differential diagnosis was spinal nerve neoplasia with compression and possibly spinal cord invasion. On ultrasonography, there was enlargement of the spinal nerve and fine needle aspiration did not show evidence of neoplasia. Fascicular biopsy of the spinal nerve was consistent with enlargement because of chronic inflammation (hypertrophic neuritis).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hemilaminectomy followed by durotomy and rhizotomy allowed resection of an intradural-extramedullary mass that was the enlarged left C2 spinal nerve. Histopathology was consistent with a hypertrophic ganglioneuritis. Thirteen months later the dog remained free of clinical signs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hypertrophic neuritis affecting the spinal nerves may be misdiagnosed as spinal nerve neoplasia that in dogs is usually malignant with a poor prognosis. Focal spinal nerve lesions with compression of the spinal cord evident on MRI may be inflammatory and are not necessarily a neoplastic condition.
authors.affiliation: Southern Counties Veterinary Specialists, Ringwood, UK. sergiorodenas5@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ródenas
authors.forename: Brian A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Summers
authors.forename: Travis
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saveraid
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Denning
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Marioni-Henry
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001706:Biopsy / Q000662:veterinary; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D004285:Dogs; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D007796:Laminectomy / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D009443:Neuritis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D011859:Radiography; D016896:Treatment Outcome