CT and MRI imaging diagnosis of epidural idiopathic sterile pyogranulomatous inflammation in a dog spinal canal

A 12-year-old neutered male shih tzu developed progressive pelvic limb paraparesis. Computed tomography showed a radiolucent mass lesion in the spinal canal at the left side of the 11th thoracic vertebra. The mass was not enhanced by intravenous contrast medium injection. It was hyperintense on both T1- and T2-weighted magnetic resonance images. The signal intensity of the mass was decreased with a fat suppression technique, indicating a fatty origin. After removal of the mass via T11–T12 hemilaminectomy, chronic panniculitis was confirmed by histopathological examination. This case demonstrates the utility of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging for the diagnosis of spinal canal pyogranulomatous inflammation. (author)