SPINAL TUMORS IN 37 DOGS - CLINICAL OUTCOME AND LONG-TERM SURVIVAL (1987-1994)

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.