Epidural lipomatosis in a six-year-old dachshund

A six-year-old female dachshund was examined because of intermittent lameness in its left pelvic limb and periodic back pain. Myelography, epidurography and computed tomography (CT) revealed a dorsal displacement of the dural sac in the lumbosacral region caused by a soft tissue mass which had the specific density of fat. The mass was removed via a dorsal laminectomy in the lumbosacral area and a histological examination confirmed that it was adipose tissue. The clinical signs resolved after the surgery and a follow-up CT five months later showed no evidence of compression of the dural sac. The diagnosis of epidural lipomatosis in this dog was based on the clinical findings, the results of diagnostic imaging, and the surgical and histological findings, all of which revealed many similarities with epidural lipomatosis in man.