Professional paper

Meningeal rupture caused by gunshot in a dog – a case report

Lucija Ciglar ; Veterinarski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Hrvatska
Vladimir Butković ; Veterinarski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Hrvatska
Petra Dmitrović ; Veterinarski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Hrvatska
Ana Smajlović ; Veterinarski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Hrvatska
Mirta Vučković ; Veterinarski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Hrvatska
Branimir Škrlin ; Veterinarski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Hrvatska
Nika Brkljača Bottegaro ; Veterinarski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Hrvatska
Hrvoje Capak ; Veterinarski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Hrvatska

Abstract

Spine and spinal cord injuries in dogs are most commonly caused by external trauma, such as vehicular trauma, high rise syndrome, gunshot or intervertebral disc extrusion. Neurological examination is required to diagnose multiple spine injuries and prognosis. In some cases, survey radiography is useful in proper diagnosing. However, myelography, stress radiography, and sectional radiography are of value in addition to routine non-contrast studies in order to completely understand the various causes and severity of cord injuries. The concept of spinal radiography can be conveniently divided in procedures performed on the conscious patient and those performed on the anesthetized patient. In human and veterinary medicine, spinal lesions can be caused by gunshots. There are only a few publications outlining clinical studies of the neck and cervical spine injuries. Furthermore, gunshot injuries in the cervical region have been described in several case reports, though with a maximum of three cases. Only one comprehensive study investigated 56 cases of cervical vertebral fractures in dogs over a 23- year period. This study described only 2 dogs (3.5%) with cervical spine fractures caused by gunshots. No evidence of full recovery or survival was found in any of the publications studding meningeal tear in dogs and cats, regardless of the etiology of the rupture. A mixed breed male puppy, about 5 months old, was admitted to the small animal clinic at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. He was conscious, in lateral recumbency, showing tetraplegia. Several chronic wounds were visible in the caudal cervical and scapular region with suspicion of a gunshot wounds. Neurological examination identified significant neurological deficits. X-rays findings included soft tissue swelling on the right side of the neck and gunshot from the right to the left side of the neck in the area of the sixth (C6) and seventh (C7) cervical vertebrae. Myelography finding showed contrast media leakage in the area of C7, especially dorsally and laterally on the right, which confirmed the meningeal tear. This finding was related to the gunshot-caused rupture of the dural and arachnoideal meninges dorsally in the area C5 to C7. Due to the dubious prognosis and lack of any possibility for treatment, the dog was euthanized.

Keywords

meninges; gunshot; meningeal rupture; myelography; dog

Hrčak ID:

223834

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/223834

Publication date:

11.6.2019.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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