Open AccessComparison of cerebellomedullary and lumbar cerebrospinal fluid analysis in dogs with neurological disease
Author(s) -
Lampe Rachel,
Foss Kari D.,
Vitale Samantha,
Hague Devon W.,
Barger Anne M.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of veterinary internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.356
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1939-1676
pISSN - 0891-6640
DOI - 10.1111/jvim.15700
Subject(s) - medicine , cerebrospinal fluid , lumbar , lumbar puncture , cistern , magnetic resonance imaging , spinal cord , pathology , radiology , history , archaeology , psychiatry
Background Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis aids in categorizing underlying disease processes in patients with neurologic disease. Convention suggests that CSF should be collected caudal to the lesion. However, little evidence exists to justify this assertion. Hypothesis/Objectives Evaluate the clinicopathologic differences between CSF collected from the cerebellomedullary (CM) and lumbar cisterns in dogs presented for evaluation of neurologic disease. Animals Fifty‐one client‐owned dogs undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and CSF collection for investigation of neurologic disease. Methods Cerebrospinal fluid was prospectively collected from the CM and lumbar cisterns in all patients. The total protein (TP) concentration, red blood cell (RBC) count, and total nucleated cell count (TNCC) were analyzed within 30 minutes of collection. Results and cytology findings were interpreted by a single pathologist. Results Fifty‐one paired samples were collected. The TNCC ( P < .001), RBC ( P < .001), and TP ( P < .001) were different between collection sites. When grouped by neurolocalization, TP (intracranial, P < .001; cervical, P < .001; thoracolumbar, P < .001) and RBC (intracranial, P < .001; cervical, P ≤ .002; thoracolumbar, P = .006) counts were significantly different. The TNCC was significantly different in the cervical ( P = .04) and thoracolumbar localizations ( P = .004) but not for intracranial ( P = .30) localizations. The pathologist's interpretation differed between sites in 66.7% of the cases (34/51). Conclusions In dogs with lesions that neurolocalized to the brain or cervical spinal cord, there may be clinical benefit in collecting fluid from both the CM and lumbar cisterns. In dogs with thoracolumbar myelopathy, CSF collected from the CM cistern may not be representative of the underlying disease process.