title: Original surgical treatment of thoracolumbar subarachnoid cysts in six chondrodystrophic dogs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Subarachnoid cysts are rare conditions in veterinary medicine, associated with spinal cord dysfunction. Most of the 100 cases of subarachnoid cysts described since the first report in 1968 were apparently not true cysts. Reported cysts are usually situated in the cervical area and occur in predisposed breeds such as the Rottweiler. The purpose of this retrospective study, from May 2003 to April 2012, was to describe the distinctive features of thoracolumbar spinal subarachnoid cysts, together with their surgical treatment and outcome in 6 chondrodystrophic dogs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five Pugs and 1 French Bulldog were examined. Images suggestive of a subarachnoid cyst were obtained by myelography (2/6) and computed tomography myelography (4/6), and associated disc herniation was observed in 3/6 dogs. A hemilaminectomy was performed. The protruding disc eventually found in 5/6 dogs was treated by lateral corpectomy. The ventral leptomeningeal adhesions observed in all dogs after durotomy were dissected. No or only mild post-operative neurological degradation was observed. Follow-up studies (7 months to 4 years) indicated good outcome and no recurrence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All the thoracolumbar subarachnoid cysts described in these 6 chondrodystrophic dogs were associated with leptomeningeal adhesions. Good results seemed to be obtained by dissecting and removing these adhesions. A protruding disc, found here in 5/6 dogs, needs to be ruled out and can be treated by lateral corpectomy.
authors.affiliation: Surgery Unit of the National Veterinary School of Lyon, VetAgroSup - Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, Université de Lyon, 1 avenue Bourgelat, 69280 Marcy-l'étoile, France. camille.bismuth@vetagro-sup.fr.
authors.forename: Camille
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bismuth
authors.forename: François-Xavier
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Ferrand
authors.forename: Mathilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Millet
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Buttin
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fau
authors.forename: Thibaut
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cachon
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Viguier
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Escriou
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carozzo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016080:Arachnoid Cysts / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D002357:Cartilage Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007796:Laminectomy / Q000662:veterinary; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D009192:Myelography / Q000662:veterinary; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000662:veterinary