Spina bifida in a dead stillbirth mongrel dog

Abstract

Spina bifida is a congenital spinal deformity that is characterized by an incomplete closure of the dorsal portion of the vertebrate. This report describes the radiological and pathological findings of this abnormality in a dead still birth mongrel. The dog demonstrated a cleft at the dorsal region of the thoracic vertebrate column, which resulted in exposition and protrusion of the spinal cord and the meninges. Plain radiographs of the ventral-dorsal of the vertebrate column revealed a defect in the fusion of the dorsal spinous processes of the distal thoracic vertebrates (T6 – T13); while the right-lateral view revealed xyphosis of the entire lumbar region of the spine.