Clinical and magnetic resonance imaging findings in 92 cats with clinical signs of spinal cord disease

Medical records of 92 cats presented with clinical signs of spinal cord disease, which had undergone magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), were reviewed. The cats were grouped into seven categories based upon the diagnosis suggested by results of MRI, cerebrospinal fluid analysis and other diagnostic procedures: neoplastic (n = 25), inflammatory or infectious (n = 13), traumatic (n = 8), vascular (n = 6), degenerative (n = 5), anomalous (n = 3) and those with an unremarkable MRI (n = 32). There were two independent predictors of abnormal MRI findings: severity of clinical signs and presence of spinal pain. Abnormal MRI findings and speed of onset of disease were significantly associated with survival. For the 32 cats with unremarkable MRI findings, only nine died due to spinal disease and, therefore, the median survival time (MST) was not reached (lower 95% confidence interval (CI) = 970 days). For the 60 cats with abnormal MRI findings, 37 died due to their disease and the MST was 138 days (95% CI: 7-807).