Fibrocartilaginous Embolism and Splenic Hematoma in a Labrador Retriever
This case report describes an 8-year-old female spayed Labrador Retriever who presented with an acute, nonprogressive, nonpainful, nonambulatory paraplegia with intact albeit reduced deep pain. She neurolocalized as a T3-L3 myelopathy with presumptive spinal shock. An emergent thoracolumbar MRI did not reveal a definitive cause for the paraplegia. However, a large mass was detected in the right mid-abdomen and was determined to be likely of splenic origin. Upon physical examination the next morning, an abdominal fluid wave was detected. Abdominal ultrasound confirmed a ruptured splenic mass with concurrent hemoabdomen. The top differential diagnosis was a splenic hemangiosarcoma with metastasis to the spinal cord. The patient was euthanized due to poor prognosis and necropsy diagnosed a fibrocartilaginous embolism (FCE) and splenic hematoma. This report will highlight these two diseases, as well as the diagnostics and treatments of these conditions.