Imaging Diagnosis—Vertebral Polyostotic Lymphoma In A Geriatric Dog

Kornder J, Platt SR, Eagleson J, et al.

Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound 2016;57:E42-E45.

A 9-year-old spayed female Scottish terrier presented with an 8-day history of progressive paraparesis. Neurological examination suggested a painful T3-L3 myelopathy. Multifocal uniform contrast-enhancing masses involving the vertebral bodies, pedicles, laminae, and spinous processes of two vertebrae and compressing the spinal cord were present on MRI. Fluoroscopic-guided fine needle aspiration of one of the vertebral lesions revealed a predominantly lymphoblastic population of cells compatible with a diagnosis of lymphoma. To the authors’ knowledge, this represents the first published case of canine lymphoma with vertebral involvement, characterized with MRI.