Imaging Diagnosis—spinal Cord Hemangioma in Two Dogs

Abstract

Intramedullary masses are a dilemma due to the limited access for a nonsurgical biopsy, thus, accurate imaging characterization is crucial. Magnetic resonance imaging findings of two confirmed canine thoracic intramedullary hemangiomas are described. A capillary hemangioma was of mixed intensity but predominantly T2-hyperintense and mildly T1-hyperintense to spinal cord with strong contrast enhancement. A cavernous hemangioma had a target-like appearance in both T1-weighted (T1w) and T2-weighted (T2w) images. In T2w images there was a small isointense center surrounded by a relatively large hyperintense area. In T1w images, there was a large isointense centre with a relatively small hyperintense periphery. Such characteristics should prioritize hemangioma as a consideration in a progressive myelopathy due to an intramedullary mass.

Remission after complete excision of an intramedullary hemangioma with an identifiable tumor plane in a dog

“…There is variability in T1‐weighted, T2‐weighted, and T2*‐weighted signals in hemangioma/−blastoma due to the hemorrhagic components of these lesions . T2*‐weighted imaging is highly sensitive for hemorrhage, revealing deoxyhemoglobin, methemoglobin and ferritin/hemosiderin as dark “signal voids.” The features appreciated in this case, including T2‐isointensity, pinpoint that T2‐hypointensities and homogenous contrast‐enhancement are within the variation observed in previous canine brain and spinal hemangioma/−blastoma …”

“…Spinal hemangioma/−blastoma has usually been diagnosed at necropsy in dogs and accounted for 2 of 53 (4%) canine intramedullary tumors . Hemangiomas are benign vascular tumors of endothelial cell origin, characterized by entanglements of capillary‐sized to cavernous vascular channels . They occur in the canine central nervous system, especially the cerebrum and the spinal cord .…”

Clinical reasoning in canine spinal disease: what combination of clinical information is useful?

“…MRI was performed between 3 and 47 hours after admission, depending on the nature of the presenting condition. Guidelines on MRI characterisation of IM (Abramson and others 2005, De Risio and others 2007), ANNPE (De Risio and others 2009, McKee and others 2010), neoplasms (Bagley 2010, Jull and others 2011, Palus and others 2012), degenerative lumbosacral stenosis (DLSS) (Meij and Bergknut 2010), Chiari-like malformation and syringomyelia (CM/SM) (Lu and others 2003, Rusbridge and others 2007) and intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) (Besalti and others 2006, Levine and others 2009, da Costa 2010a) were used in making radiological diagnoses. IVDD was further classified as IVDE or intervertebral disc protrusion (IVDP) according to previously described methods (Besalti and others 2006).…”

Tumors of the Nervous System

“…124 Three dogs treated for spinal lymphoma had a MST of 560 days (range = 560 to 1030 days). specific details); this dog was euthanized 15 months after the initial diagnosis.…”