Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Subarachnoid hemorrhage and axonal degeneration after C1-C2 cervical centesis in 2 horses.
- Journal:
- Journal of veterinary internal medicine
- Year:
- 2023
- Authors:
- Luethy, Daniela et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
Two horses experienced serious complications after a procedure called cervical centesis, which is used to collect fluid from around the spinal cord. Both horses showed signs of problems shortly after the procedure, and unfortunately, they had to be euthanized. A thorough examination after their deaths found that one horse had a specific spinal condition, while the other did not have a clear cause for its issues. Both horses had bleeding in the area where the procedure was done, along with damage to the spinal cord. While these complications are uncommon, they are important to keep in mind as this procedure becomes more popular.
Abstract
Ultrasound-guided cervical centesis has gained popularity as a method for collecting cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from standing horses. There are anecdotal reports of neck stiffness, regional swelling, sensitivity to palpation, and fever after the procedure. We report 2 horses with complications that occurred within days of C1-C2 centesis and ultimately resulted in euthanasia. Both C1-C2 centesis were performed routinely, with CSF cytologic analysis providing no evidence of blood contamination. Post-mortem examination revealed equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy as the primary disorder causing Horse 1's initial neurologic deficits, whereas Horse 2 did not have a distinct lesion explaining the horse's deficits. Both horses had evidence of subarachnoid hemorrhage at or near the centesis site with Wallerian axonal degeneration in the cranial cervical spinal cord. Although hemorrhage with associated axonal degeneration at the cervical centesis site appears to be rare, this complication of C1-C2 centesis should be considered as this technique gains popularity.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37096918/