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168912. ‘One More Harlem’ Gibson. 15 yo Saddlebred gelding 5 wk history of severely decreased range of motion in the caudal cervical region and swelling of the right neck U nwilling to bend or flex the neck and unable to lower head to graze, eat, or drink
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168912 ‘One More Harlem’ Gibson
15 yoSaddlebred gelding • 5 wk history of severely decreased range of motion in the caudal cervical region and swelling of the right neck • Unwilling to bend or flex the neckand unable to lower head to graze, eat, or drink • Muscle relaxants, topical anti inflamatories and gastroprotectants • Recently, anorectic with considerable loss of weight and muscle tone
Cervical range of motion was severely decreased • Cutaneous sensation and reflexes- WNL • Normal gait • very mildly hypermetric in the hind limbs, normal forelimbs • Navigated up hill normally, extremely cautious to navigate down both the hill and curb, and extremely reluctant to lower his head • ASSESSMENT: neurologic examination overall did not reveal and significant abnormalities to explain the right sided cervical swelling and neck pain.
Most common pathologies of the equine cervical spine • degenerative joint disease of the articular facet joints, osteochondrosis of the vertebral bodies, intervertebral disk prolapse, and various soft tissue injuries
C7 C7 C7 T1 T1 T1
Discospondylitis • Neoplasia(hemangiosarcoma)/ osteomyelitis with collapse of disc space • Trauma • Chronic intervertebral disc disease? Differential diagnoses
Equine cervical intervertebral discs- no nucleus pulposus, but rather a central fibrocartilaginous area which becomes more fibrous peripherally • Decreases intervertebral disc disease in horses • Age related degenerative changes exist, though typically without clinical signs • Discs degeneration with bulging of the dorsal longitudinal ligament may compress nerve roots • All reported cases of IVDD within cervical spine • One thoracic lesion in a donkey
11 yoSaddlebred • Chronic non specific clinical signs • Multiple thoracic spinal anomalies • may have predisposed • Suspected chronic, end-stage presentation of CVS
Inflammatory disease of the intervertebral discs and vertebral bodies • Tortuous vessels near endplates • Most common in dogs • Reports in cats, pigs, horses, alpacas • Typically hematogenous spread of bacteria or fungi Discospondylitis
Rare in horses • Vague, insidious clinical signs • Vertebral pain, fever, muscle atrophy (presumably disuse) • Neurologic deficits uncommon • Most commonly reported in cervical spine, but case reports of thoracic and lumbar cases • Bacterial- hematologic spread or local infiltration • Often a presumptive dx based on response to abx therapy • Trauma? Discospondylitis
Discospondylitis Dyson, 2011
C7 T1
Has been reported to determine the focus of bacterial infection • Ciprofloxacin is widely distributed in the body and excreted via the kidneys • Retained at sites of active bacterial infection revealing areas with viable, proliferating bacteria with DNA gyrase • Conflicting reports regarding specificity • Monitor healing? (99mTc) ciprofloxacin scintigraphy?
Standing cervical centesis if concurrent neurologic signs • Detomidine and Morphine • Angle probe dorsoventrally • Aim needle ventrolateral-dorsomedial VRUS, 2012
Prognosis is usually guarded, though several case reports of full recovery • Long term IV antibiotics • Surgical curettage +/- stabilization Prognosis