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Rare Feline Spinal Injury Shows Promising Recovery Outcomes: New Study Reveals MRI Insights
Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 2025
Obi Veterinary Education
August 10, 2025
Thomas Heaselgrave, Luisa De Risio, Elisabet Domínguez, Elena Scarpante, Thomas Mignan, Emili Alcoverro, Simone Spinillo, Alexandra Ferreira, Francesca Samarani, Pablo Espinosa, Giulia Cagnotti, and Lluís Sánchez
Background
Intramedullary intervertebral disc extrusions (IIVDEs) are an uncommon form of disc herniation in which disc material enters the spinal cord itself. Though well-documented in dogs, they have only been rarely reported in cats. Due to limited existing literature—comprising only three case reports and one study mentioning four cases—little is known about feline IIVDEs. The study aimed to characterize clinical presentation, imaging findings, treatments, and outcomes in a case series of cats with presumptive IIVDEs diagnosed via MRI.
Methods
This retrospective study reviewed medical records and MRI findings from 12 cats diagnosed with IIVDE across seven veterinary referral centers between 2009 and 2024. Inclusion required MRI evidence of IIVDE based on specific criteria. Follow-up data were collected through veterinary records and standardized owner questionnaires at both short-term (<6 weeks) and long-term (≥6 months) intervals.
Results
All 12 cats presented with peracute or acute neurological signs. Nine had either witnessed or suspected trauma. MRI localized the IIVDE to T12–L6 intervertebral spaces, with the majority at L4–L6. Eight cats had urinary incontinence; none had fecal incontinence. Non-surgical management was used in all cases, often including analgesia and physiotherapy. By discharge, five cats showed neurological improvement. All five non-ambulatory cats (with follow-up) regained ambulation; all cats eventually regained urinary continence. Nine out of ten cats with follow-up achieved a successful outcome (ambulatory, continent, and considered functional pets).
Limitations
The study is limited by its retrospective nature, small sample size, and lack of histopathological confirmation—diagnoses were based on MRI criteria alone. Long-term outcomes were partially reliant on owner-reported data, which may introduce subjective bias. Furthermore, the sample consisted solely of referral cases, potentially skewing severity and owner demographics.
Conclusions
Feline IIVDEs are rare but potentially recoverable thoracolumbar spinal cord injuries. Trauma often precedes onset, and urinary incontinence is common regardless of ambulation status. Non-surgical treatment yielded favorable outcomes in most cases, suggesting that IIVDEs, though serious, may not require surgical intervention to achieve acceptable long-term quality of life in affected cats.
(a) Sagittal T2-weighted image of the thoracolumbar vertebral column, (b) transverse T2-weighted image at the level of the T13–L1 intervertebral disc space, and (c) transverse T2-weighted image at the level of the L2 vertebral body of a domestic shorthair cat aged 3 years 5 months. (a) A linear hypointense tract extends from the T13–L1 intervertebral disc into the spinal cord parenchyma, surrounded by an ill-defined hyperintense area (arrow). The T13–L1 nucleus pulposus shows a reduced volume compared with the adjacent discs. (b) Right-sided intramedullary changes are evident at the level of the T13–L1 intervertebral disc (arrow), with no apparent extraneous material in the epidural space. (c) A relatively well-demarcated hyperintensity within the epaxial musculature at the level of the L2 vertebral body, suggestive of epaxial muscle contusion or oedema (not haemorrhage, based on excluded T2*-weighted gradient-recall echo images), was considered potentially indicative of external trauma or secondary to the extrusion (arrow)
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