A Congenital Defect in the Spinal Cord of the Manx Cat

The lumbar part of the spinal cords of two Manx kittens showed syringomyelia associated with spina bifida occulta. The syringomyelia may have been caused by a secondary mechanism, such as occlusion of blood vessels, that occurred after formation of the spinal cord. There was no apparent hyperplasia of neural tissue. Incomplete fusion of vertebral arches may also have been caused in part by such a vascular defect.