Table 1 Signalment, radiological findings, treatment options, follow-ups and clinical outcome in 9 dogs with CVM
From: Cervical vertebral malformations in 9 dogs: radiological findings, treatment options and outcomes
Case | Age at time of presentation (days) | Gender | Breed | Weight (kg) | Clinical signs | Level of malformation | Treatment modality | Surgical approach | Medium term follow-up (<  180 days post-operatively) | Long-term follow-up (181 or more days post-operatively) | Time of follow-up (days) | Clinical outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1451 | Female entire | Miniature Schnauzer | 8.2 | Cervical hyperesthesia | C1-C2 | Surgical | Ventral stabilisation | Resolution of clinical signs 7 days post-operatively | Resolution of the clinical signs | 3190 | Ambulatory, normal posture, gait and absent hyperesthesia |
2 | 587 | Male neutered | Border Collie | 28 | Tetraparesis, proprioceptive deficits and cervical hyperesthesia | C1-C2 | Surgical | Dorsal decompression and ventral stabilisation (two stage surgery) | Normal posture and gait with occasional cervical pain. Unremarkable follow-up CT scan. | Telephonic follow-up. Reported episodes of cervical hyperesthesia every 8 weeks. Resolution of tetraparesis | 1416 | Ambulatory with normal posture and gait. |
3 | 1748 | Male neutered | Cocker Spaniel | 17.2 | Tetraparesis, thoracic limb hypermetria and hyperreflexia | C2 | Surgical | Ventral stabilisation and dorsal laminectomy of C1 | Neurological examination and follow-up CT scan (pin migration that required surgical removal) | CT myelogram confirmed recompression of the spinal cord at the level of C1 (left side) | 484 | Euthanasia 476 days after the surgery |
4 | 144 | Male entire | Staffordshire Bull Terrier | 13.3 | Tetraparesis, proprioceptive deficits in all four limbs and cervical hyperesthesia | C1-C2, C3-C4 and sacrum | Conservative | N/A | Moderate tetraparesis | Ambulatory with mild tetraparesis. No evidence of hyperesthesia | 888 | Ambulatory with normal posture and gait. |
5 | 381 | Male entire | German Shepherd Dog | 34 | Urinary incontinence | C2-C5 andT3 | Conservative | N/A | No evidence of urinary incontinence | N/A | 30 | Improvement of urinary incontinence |
6 | 1755 | Female neutered | Shih Tzu | 7 | Tetraparesis, proprioceptive deficits and cervical hyperesthesia | C2-C3 | Surgical | Ventral stabilisation | Delayed proprioception on the right thoracic limb. Unremarkable follow-up CT scan. | Telephonic follow-up. Reported resolution of tetraparesis, ataxia and cervical pain | 854 | Ambulatory with normal posture and gait. |
7 | 2369 | Male neutered | Shih Tzu | 9.75 | Tetraparesis, proprioceptive deficits | C2-C3 | Surgical | Ventral stabilisation | Relapse of tetraparesis and cervical hyperesthesia. Follow-up CT scan revealed loosening of the pins at the level of C3 and break on the of the PMMA bolus at the level of C2-C3. Review surgery with stabilisation of the C1-C4 vertebral bodies with Imexx pins and PMMA. Culture of the loose pins was negative. | Six-month follow-up of the review surgery revealed improvement of the tetraparesis and absent cervical hyperesthesia. Relapse of cervical hyperesthesia 9-months after the review surgery (C6-C7 intervertebral disc protrusion) | 549 | Ambulatory with normal posture and gait. |
8 | 2010 | Male entire | Siberian Husky | 44.6 | Non-ambulatory tetraparesis, proprioceptive deficits on the thoracic limbs and cervical hyperesthesia | C4-C5 | Surgical | Ventral decompression | Lost to follow-up | Lost to follow-up | 11 | Ambulatory with moderate tetraparesis |
9 | 3782 | Female neutered | Chihuahua | 2.5 | Tetraparesis, proprioceptive deficits and cervical hyperesthesia | C2-C3 | Conservative (initially) then surgical | Ventral decompression | Normal posture, gait and absent cervical hyperesthesia | Recurrence of the clinical signs (gliosis at the previous surgical site, adjacent segment disease) | 660 | Progressive tetraparesis |