Proceedings 31st Symposium ESVN-ECVN

A 9 year‐old, intact male Shih tzu dog was presented with systemic weakness and a peracute onset of tetraplegia. On neurological examinations, tetraplegia with lower motor neuron signs was notified. Myasthenia gravis was ruled out based on the normal findings of supramaximal repetitive nerve stimulation with electromyography and neostigmine administration. Initial 0.3 T‐magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings included relatively sharply demarcated intramedullary lesions at C2 to C6, mainly involving grey matter, which appeared hypointense on T1‐weighted images (WI) and hyperintense on T2‐WI and FLAIR. There was no enhancement on post‐contrast T1‐WI. Neutrophilic pleocytosis was observed in cerebrospinal fluid analysis. No clinical responses were observed for the treatment with immunosuppressive dosage of prednisolone. Six‐day follow‐up 3‐T MRI demonstrated hyperintesity on diffusion‐weighted image (DWI) and decreased apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value of the spinal lesions. Through histological examination, fibrocartilaginous embolism (FCE) was definitively confirmed.