Myelography in the Dog: Review of Patients With Contrast Medium in the Central Canal

Contrast medium opacification of the spinal central canal after cisterna magna or lumbar puncture caudal to the 5th lumbar vertebra was an unusual observation during myelography. Incidental central canal opacification was more likely to occur in normal dogs or dogs with spinal cord pathology during lumbar puncture cranial to the 5th lumbar vertebra. Preferential contrast medium migration into the central canal, particularly if injected rapidly, may lead to deterioration in neurologic status. Placement of the spinal needle in the central canal during cisterna magna myelography was necessary to document the presence of hydromyelia. Case histories illustrating the above conditions were given and their significance discussed.