Paramedullary plasmacytoma originating from the first cervical vertebra
(C1) in an 8-month-old warmblood weanling with tetraparesis: Clinical
and pathological findings
Abstract
To the authorsʼ knowledge there is only one report in the literature,
dealing with paramedullary plasmacytomas in horses as so-called “break
out lesions”, originating from the bone marrow of a vertebra and
invading the epidural space (Drew and Greatorex 1974). Our case report
describes the clinical and patho-morphological findings of such a case.
The affected 8-month-old warmblood weanling colt exhibited acute
tetraparesis thus, a spinal cord lesion in the cervical column was
suspected. Computed tomography revealed osteolytic lesions in C1 and a
heterogeneous mass within the respective segment of the vertebral canal.
By means of patho-morphological examination, with the aid of
transmission electron microscopy, a plasmacytoma was identified, that
had grown out of the bone marrow of C1 into the epidural space, locally
compressing the spinal cord. In tetraparetic, young horses traumatic
spine cord injuries, cervical vertebral malformations and infectious
diseases of the central nervous system represent common differentials.
However bone-dissolving tumours such as paramedullary plasmacytomas
should be considered as a further possible cause in the presence of
severe neurological deficits.