Caprine neonatal spinal ultrasonography

Abstract

Spinal ultrasonography is a safe, rapid, and non-invasive diagnostic tool that allows visualization of the spinal cord and its surrounding meninges. The non-ossified spinous processes were used as an acoustic window for imaging the spinal cord in human and canine neonates. No available literatures have been published describing the ultrasonographic appearance of caprine neonatal spinal cord. The present study was performed on 20 one day-old goat kids. Sagittal and transverse ultrasound scans were obtained using 8MHz linear transducer. The spinal cord appeared as a tubular anechoic to hypoechoic structure within the spinal canal. The cord was surrounded by hyperechoic dura and pia matter as well as the anechoic subarachnoid space in-between. The mean sagittal diameter of the cord at the cervical region was (4.6±0.3mm), the thoracic region (3.9±0.2mm), and the lumbar region (4.3±1.1mm). The sagittal diameter of the cord at the cervical and lumbar regions was significantly wider than the diameter at the thoracic region. Identification of the normal ultrasonographic appearance of caprine neonatal spinal cord may represent the basis for diagnosing congenital spinal cord lesions.

Keywords: Goat; Kid; Spinal cord; Ultrasound.