PRESSURE-VOLUME INDEX-BASED VOLUME CALCULATION OF CONTRAST MEDIUM FOR ATLANTO-OCCIPITAL MYELOGRAPHY IN DOGS

Subarachnoid pressure recordings were made during atlanto-occipital myelography in 45 dogs with clinical signs of spinal disease. Iohexol was injected at a dosage of 0.3 ml/kg body weight and simultaneous pressure values were recorded in the cerebellomedullary cistern. The mean subarachnoid pressure was 9 +/- 3 mmHg before and 70 +/- 32 mmHg at the end of administration. From the pressure change induced by the volume load, the pressurevolume index (PVI) of the subarachnoid space was calculated and found to be in close correlation with body weight and the crown-rump length (r = 0.94 and 0.87). Using the estimated PVI values, the appropriate volume of contrast medium can be calculated for an animal according to body weight. Dogs of a large body size require relatively less contrast medium than small-sized dogs (range 0.170.35 ml/kg). This calculated volume is unlikely to increase the subarachnoid pressure above 40 mmHg as a specific pressure limit. Using these data, simplified recommendations for the choice of contrast medium volumes have been generated.