Table 6.
Multinomial logistic regression results evaluating associations between different variables and a diagnosis of SRMA, meningomyelitis of unknown origin (MUO) or infectious causes amongst cases with spinal disease using SRMA as the reference category.
| Final diagnosis | OR (95% CI) | P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (months) | SRMA | Ref | – |
| MUO | 1.029 (1.01–1.049) | 0.003a | |
| Infectious causes | 1.053 (1.036–1.071) | <0.001a | |
| Body weight (kg) | SRMA | Ref | |
| MUO | 0.994 (0.918–1.077) | 0.88 | |
| Infectious causes | 1.063 (1.006–1.123) | 0.031a | |
| Breed categories | |||
| Crossbreeds | Ref | – | – |
| Sporting | SRMA | Ref | – |
| MUO | 0.061 (0.008–0.475) | 0.008a | |
| Infectious causes | 0.969 (0.263–3.573) | 0.963 | |
| Hound | SRMA | Ref | – |
| MUO | 0.032 (0.002–0.469) | 0.012a | |
| Infectious causes | 0.05 (0.005–0.504) | 0.011a | |
| Working | SRMA | Ref | – |
| MUO | 0.234 (0.024–2.316) | 0.214 | |
| Infectious causes | 0.782 (0.142–4.302) | 0.777 | |
| Terrier | SRMA | Ref | – |
| MUO | 1.087 (0.132–8.944) | 0.938 | |
| Infectious causes | 1.839 (0.292–11.576) | 0.516 | |
| Toy | SRMA | Ref | – |
| MUO | 0.442 (0.048–4.043) | 0.47 | |
| Infectious causes | 0.122 (0.011–1.411) | 0.092 | |
| Herding | SRMA | Ref | – |
| MUO | 0.085 (0–44.842) | 0.441 | |
| Infectious causes | 0.048 (0–15.36) | 0.302 | |
| Non-sporting | SRMA | Ref | – |
| MUO | 0.552 (0.047–6.533) | 0.638 | |
| Infectious causes | 14.159 (2.027–98.914) | 0.008a | |
| Hyperthermia on presentation | SRMA | Ref | – |
| MUO | 0.09 (0.022–0.363) | 0.001a | |
| Infectious causes | 0.139 (0.053–0.367) | <0.001a | |
| Hyperesthesia on presentation | SRMA | Ref | – |
| MUO | 0.047 (0.005–0.44) | 0.007a | |
| Infectious causes | 0.352 (0.044–2.828) | 0.326 | |
| Onset of the clinical signs | |||
| Subacute | Ref | – | – |
| Acute | SRMA | Ref | – |
| MUO | 2.039 (0.299–13.912) | 0.467 | |
| Infectious causes | 0.695 (0.137–3.518) | 0.66 | |
| Chronic | SRMA | Ref | – |
| MUO | 7.983 (1.642–38.813) | 0.01a | |
| Infectious causes | 4.169 (1.13–15.388) | 0.032a | |
| Progression of the clinical signs | SRMA | Ref | – |
| MUO | 11.348 (2.526–30.97) | 0.002a | |
| Infectious causes | 2.931 (1.061–8.098) | 0.038a | |
| Neurolocalization | |||
| No neurological deficits | Ref | – | – |
| C1–C5 | SRMA | Ref | – |
| MUO | 362.291 (36.51–3,595.059) | <0.001a | |
| Infectious causes | 2.064 (0.151–28.24) | 0.587 | |
| C6–T2 | SRMA | Ref | – |
| MUO | 31.459 (2.55–388.053) | 0.001a | |
| Infectious causes | 4.426 (0.419–46.736) | 0.216 | |
| T3–L3 | SRMA | Ref | – |
| MUO | 486.444 (41.354–5,721.931) | <0.001a | |
| Infectious causes | 59.701 (5.871–607.11) | 0.001a | |
| L4–S3 | SRMA | Ref | – |
| MUO | 574.41 (13.08–25,225.188) | 0.001a | |
| Infectious causes | 127.273 (3.723–4,350.853) | 0.007a | |
| Multifocal | SRMA | Ref | – |
| MUO | 404.147 (1.626–99,290.213) | 0.033a | |
| Infectious causes | 7.229 (0.032–1,624.233) | 0.474 |
CI, confidence interval; MUO, meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown origin; OR, odds ratio; ref, reference category; SRMA, steroid-responsive meningitis–arteritis.
a
Statistically significant.