Central cord syndrome in cats

Clinical signs, causes, and outcome of central cord syndrome in 22 cats

Carlos Ros DECVN, Roberto José-López PhD, DECVN, Cristina Font DECVN, Anna Suñol DECVN, Emili Alcoverro DECVN, Jasmin Nessler DECVN, Alejandra García de Carellán Mateo DECVAA, Vicente Aige PhD, and Rita Gonçalves PhD, DECVN

Background: Central cord syndrome (CCS) is a clinical presentation where patients present with more severe paresis or plegia in the thoracic limbs compared to the pelvic limbs. This study reviews findings of CCS in 22 cats.

Study: The authors conducted a retrospective study using case populations from 7 veterinary neurology referral centers. They reviewed the medical records of cats with CCS that underwent MRI of the cervical spinal cord from 2017 to 2021.

Methods: The authors collected data on signalment, history, physical and neurological examination, diagnostic tests, definitive or presumptive diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. They performed descriptive statistics and compared the clinical neuroanatomical localization with the MRI findings.

Results: The authors found that CCS in cats was associated with two neuroanatomical localizations: C1-C5 and C6-T2 spinal cord segments. The most common condition associated with CCS was ischemic myelopathy, followed by neoplasia and meningomyelitis. The most common anatomical location of the lesion was over the C2 and C4 vertebral bodies. The outcome was poor in 59% of cats, mainly due to neoplasia and meningomyelitis.

Limitations: The authors acknowledged the limitations of their study, such as its retrospective nature, the low case number, the lack of definitive diagnoses, and the lack of long-term follow-up or repeated imaging studies. They also noted the need for more anatomical studies to determine the location of the cervical intumescence in cats.

Conclusions: The authors concluded that CCS can occur in cats with lesions in the cervical intumescence and cranial to it. They suggested that the main diseases associated with peracute and chronic CCS in cats were ischemic myelopathy and neoplasia, respectively. They also stated that cats with chronic CCS had a poorer prognosis than those with peracute CCS.

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