Vertebrectomy, bone allograft fusion, and antitumor vaccination for the treatment of vertebral fibrosarcoma in a dog.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the surgical technique of vertebrectomy with bone allograft fusion and the use of antitumor vaccine for the treatment of a primary vertebral neoplasm in a dog.

STUDY

DESIGN

Case Report.

ANIMALS OR SAMPLE POPULATION: A 3 year old 32 kg female spayed mixed breed dog with progressive paraplegia.

METHODS

Myelography was performed to identify an L5 lytic lesion with spinal cord compression. A dorsal laminectomy was performed to decompress the spinal cord and obtain biopsies. Pathologic fracture of the vertebral body two days later was treated with L5 vertebrectomy, cortical allograft implantation, and bilateral plating from L4 to L6. Tumor samples were used to create an autologous cytokine-gene-engineered tumor cell vaccine. Recheck radiographs and neurologic examinations were obtained 1, 2, 7, and 13 months after surgery.

RESULTS

The histopathologic diagnosis was fibrosarcoma. Although slight osteopenia of the allograft was noted thirteen months after surgery, the allograft and plate fixation remained stable. The patient tolerated the antitumor vaccination protocol well. Two years after the procedures the dog was able to ambulate normally but remained urinary and fecal incontinent.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Vertebrectomy and cortical allograft implantation with plating permitted this patient to return to a functional lifestyle with its owners.