ULTRASOUND-GUIDED CERVICAL CENTESIS TO OBTAIN CEREBROSPINAL FLUID IN THE STANDING HORSE

• Published in: Veterinary radiology & ultrasound 2012-01, Vol.53 (1), p.92-95
• Main Authors: PEASE, ANTHONY, BEHAN, ASHLEY, BOHART, GEORGE
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; cervical; Cervical Vertebrae - diagnostic imaging; CSF; equine; horse; Horse Diseases - cerebrospinal fluid; Horses - cerebrospinal fluid; Paracentesis - methods; Paracentesis - veterinary; Posture; Spinal Cord - diagnostic imaging; Subarachnoid Space - diagnostic imaging; Ultrasonography, Interventional - veterinary; ultrasound
• ISSN: 1058-8183; 1740-8261
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1740-8261.2011.01855.x

Horses with intracranial lesions and severe ataxia are not good anesthesia candidates; however, only one method to obtain cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the cervical region in a standing horse has been reported. This method is not performed routinely due to the difficulty for sample acquisition. Our hypothesis is that standing cervical centesis can be performed in horses without complication. Ultrasound‐guided centesis of the CSF between C1 and C2 in 11 clinically normal horses and two horses with neurologic signs were performed. Horses were sedated and ultrasound was used to identify the subarachnoid space and spinal cord between C1 and C2. With ultrasound guidance, a needle was introduced into the dorsal aspect of the subarachnoid space using a lateral approach. Ten milliliters of CSF was obtained and analyzed. Two normal horses in this study had moderate red blood cell contamination in the CSF (940 and 612 RBC/μl). One horse had 11 RBC/μl and the remaining horses had