Ms. Levy et al., SPINAL TUMORS IN 37 DOGS - CLINICAL OUTCOME AND LONG-TERM SURVIVAL (1987-1994), The Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, 33(4), 1997, pp. 307-312
The current management of dogs with spinal canal neoplasia in a large
veterinary institution was evaluated. Postoperative survival time and
prognostic indicators for survival were examined. Spinal neoplasms in
dogs and humans also were compared. Thirty-seven cases with histologic
ally confirmed spinal tumors were included in the study The cervical r
egion was affected most commonly, and 23 (62%) of 37 cases had extradu
ral tumors. A hemilaminectomy or a dorsal laminectomy was performed in
each case; three cases received adjuvant treatment. Twelve (32%) case
s were euthanized at the time of surgery, and two died immediately aft
er surgery. One dog was euthanized 20 days after surgery because of pe
rsistent clinical signs. Twenty-two cases were followed postoperativel
y; nine different types of primary tumors were confirmed by histologic
al examination of tissue specimens from these 22 cases, and three case
s had metastatic lesions. The median survival time of these 22 cases w
as 240 days. Twelve (32%) of the 37 cases had nerve-sheath tumors; the
median survival time for these 12 cases was 180 days, No prognostic i
ndicators were identified However, median survival times of cases with
benign versus malignant tumor types were 1,410 days and 180 days, res
pectively (p of 0.07). Four cases each had a myxoma/myxosarcoma, a tum
or previously unreported in the spinal canal in dogs.