The purpose of this retrospective, multicentre case series was to describe the outcome following surgery and/or radiation of spinal meningiomas and nerve sheath tumours (NSTs) based upon treatment modality, with a specific aim to evaluate the survival times and time to recurrence following treatment for each histopathological diagnosis. Our hypothesis was that the addition of radiation therapy modalities to treatment will yield longer time to recurrence of clinical signs and survival time. Thirty-four dogs met the inclusion criteria of histopathologically diagnosed extramedullary spinal meningioma or NST. Sixteen extramedullary spinal meningiomas and 18 NSTs were diagnosed. A diagnosis of meningioma was associated with a significantly longer survival time compared with NSTs, with median survival times (MST) of 508 days (95% confidence interval [CI]: 66-881) vs 187 days (95% CI: 76-433; P = .02). Dogs (seven) treated with stereotactic radiation therapy (SRT) for recurrence after surgery alone or SRT alone as their initial treatment gained an additional 125 to 346 days survival time.

Distraction radiography detected the greatest range and magnitude of passive hip laxity in the 10 breeds of dogs. The difference in values between breeds known to have high prevalence of canine hip dysplasia and those in Borzois was greater for DI than for HEI. Breeds must be evaluated individually because of inherent differences in hip joint laxity.

The purpose of this study was to identify large-breed dogs with intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) in the upper thoracic region (thoracic vertebrae 1-9 [T1-T9]). Medical records of all dogs that were diagnosed with IVDD on MRI between February 2008 and September 2011 were reviewed. Of 723 dogs diagnosed with IVDD based on MRI, 527 (72.9%) were small-breed dogs. There were 21 (10.7%) large-breed dogs with IVDD in the T1-T9 region, whereas no small-breed dogs were identified with lesions in that region. The most common upper thoracic lesion sites were T2-T3 (33.3%) and T4-T5 (25.9%). The majority of dogs with T1-T9 lesions were German shepherd dogs (52.4%). Larger, older dogs were more likely to have T1-T9 lesions and more likely to have multiple regions with IVDD, in particular German shepherd dogs (35.1%). Dogs with T1-T9 IVDD were more likely to have IVDD in another region (66.7%). All large-breed dogs presenting with T3-L3 myelopathy should have diagnostic imaging performed of their entire thoracic and lumbar spine.

The invasive, locally aggressive nature of feline injection‐site sarcomas (FISSs) poses a unique challenge for surgeons to obtain complete margins with surgical excision. Optical coherence tomography (OCT), an imaging technology that uses light waves to generate real‐time views of tissue architecture, provides an emerging solution to this dilemma by allowing fast, high‐resolution scanning of surgical margins. The purpose of this study was to use OCT to assess surgical margins of FISS and to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of OCT for detecting residual cancer using six evaluators of varying experience. Five FISSs were imaged with OCT to create a training set of OCT images that were compared with histopathology. Next, 25 FISSs were imaged with OCT prior to histopathology. Six evaluators of varying experience participated in a training session on OCT imaging after which each of the evaluators was given a dataset that included OCT images and videos to score on a scale from cancerous to non‐cancerous. Diagnostic accuracy statistics were calculated. The overall sensitivity and specificity for classification of OCT images by evaluators were 78.9% and 77.6%, respectively. Correct classification rate of OCT images was associated with experience, while individual sensitivities and specificities had more variation between experience groups. This study demonstrates the ability of evaluators to correctly classify OCT images with overall low levels of experience and training and also illustrates areas where increased training can improve accuracy of evaluators in interpretation of OCT surgical margin images.

HistoryA young (> 1-year-old) spayed female domestic shorthair cat was referred for evaluation of lethargy and stertorous breathing of 3 days' duration. The cat' s age was estimated on the basis of closure of vertebral body physes. The cat had been adopted and spayed at a local shelter 1 week prior to evaluation. On physical examination, the cat was thin, had bilateral nasal discharge, and had a rectal temperature of 40.2 o C (104.4 o F; reference range, 38.1 o to 39.2 o C [100.6 o to 102.6 o F]). The cat had a heart rate of 200 beats/min (reference range, 120 to 240 beats/min) with a regular cardiac rhythm; a grade 4/6 parasternal systolic murmur was detected on the left side of the thorax during auscultation. The cat' s respiratory rate was 40 breaths/min (reference range, 20 to 30 breaths/min) with increased lung sounds bilaterally. There was a mild reduction in the strength of the femoral arterial pulses. Ascites or jugular venous distension was not detected. The cat' s oral mucous membranes were pink, and cyanosis was not detected in the caudal portion of the body.Treatment with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (62.5 mg, PO, q 12 h) had been initiated for a presumed upper respiratory tract infection pending results of further diagnostic tests. Abnormalities detected on CBC included neutrophilia (28,884 X 10 9 cells/µL; reference range, 5,500 to 19,500 cells/µL) with a degenerative left shift (996 X 10 9 band neutrophils/µL; reference range, 0 to 585 X 10 9 band neutrophils/µL). The cat had a PCV of 35% (reference range, 24% to 45%). At the hospital of the referring veterinarian, the cat had had intermittent episodes of open mouth breathing and rapid respirations (66 breaths/min; reference range, 20 to 30 breaths/min) during the night. With minimal handling, the cat would collapse, its mucous membranes would become cyanotic, and its muscular tone would become rigid. Radiographs of the thorax were obtained (Figure 1).Determine whether additional imaging studies are required, or make your diagnosis from Figure 1-then turn the page * *