Far lateral lumbar intervertebral disc extrusion in a cat: Case report

A 4-year-old domestic long-haired cat presented with acute, progressive, non-weight-bearing lameness of the left pelvic limb and reluctance to climb. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed decreased T2-weighted signal intensity of the nucleus pulposus in all lumbar intervertebral discs except L7-S1, with far-lateral T2-weighted low-signal material at L6–L7 surrounding the sixth lumbar nerve root. A diagnosis of far-lateral intervertebral disc extrusion at L6–L7 was made. Clinical signs resolved almost completely within 15 days of conservative management. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing MRI findings of far-lateral intervertebral disc extrusion in a cat, highlighting the importance of considering this condition in the differential diagnosis of acute unilateral pelvic limb lameness.