Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
PET/CT scan findings in a dog with adrenal gland cancer
By Lee, Dohee et al.·Published in BMC veterinary research·2022·College of Veterinary Medicine, South Korea·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: 18F-FDG PET/CT image findings of a dog with adrenocortical carcinoma.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 13-year-old male Cocker Spaniel was brought in for severe high blood pressure and was found to have a 3.6 cm adrenal mass. To better understand the mass, the vet used a special imaging technique called 18F-FDG PET/CT, which showed that the mass was likely cancerous. The dog underwent surgery to remove the adrenal gland, and after the operation, his blood pressure returned to normal without needing medication. This case highlights the usefulness of advanced imaging in diagnosing adrenal tumors in dogs.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: In human medicine, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) has been used to differentiate between benign and malignant adrenal tumors and to identify metastases. However, canine adrenocortical carcinomas identified by 18F-FDG PET/computed tomography (CT) have not been reported. CASE PRESENTATION: A 13-year-old, castrated male, Cocker Spaniel dog with severe systolic hypertension exhibited an adrenal mass approximately 3.6 cm in diameter on ultrasonography. There was no evidence of pulmonary metastasis or vascular invasion on thoracic radiography and abdominal ultrasonography, respectively. 18F-FDG PET/CT was performed to identify the characteristics of the adrenal mass and the state of metastasis. One hour after injection of 5.46 MBq/kg 18F-FDG intravenously, the peripheral region of the adrenal mass visually revealed an increased 18F-FDG uptake, which was higher than that of the liver, and the central region of the mass exhibited necrosis. The maximal standardized uptake value (SUV) of the adrenal mass was 3.24; and relative SUV, calculated by dividing the maximal SUV of the adrenal tumor by the mean SUV of the normal liver, was 5.23. Adrenocortical carcinoma was tentatively diagnosed and surgical adrenalectomy was performed. Histopathologic examination of the resected adrenal mass revealed the characteristics of an adrenocortical carcinoma. After adrenalectomy, systolic blood pressure reduced to below 150 mmHg without any medication. CONCLUSION: This is the first case report of 18F-FDG PET/CT findings in a dog with suspected adrenocortical carcinoma and may provide valuable diagnostic information for adrenocortical carcinoma in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34980137/