Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cats with urine marking and aggression caused by adrenal tumors
By Caylen Erger et al.·Published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science·2023·View original on Semantic Scholar →
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Original publication title: Case report: Androgen-secreting adrenocortical tumors in eight cats
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of eight cats was brought to the vet for issues like inappropriate urination, strong-smelling urine, aggression, and excessive vocalization. After thorough testing, it was found that most of these cats had tumors on their adrenal glands that were producing high levels of male hormones. Five of the male cats had noticeable changes like penile barbs, and one female had an enlarged clitoris. The cats that had surgery to remove the tumors showed significant improvement in their symptoms and lived for over a year afterward, while medical treatments did not help much.
People also search for: cat inappropriate urination · cat aggression treatment · cat adrenal tumor symptoms · cat testosterone levels · cat surgery for hormone issues
Abstract
Urine marking, aggression, and other behavioral concerns are common reasons for cat owners to seek veterinary care. Empiric treatment for lower urinary tract disease or primary behavior disorders are commonly pursued, especially in those cases with normal routine laboratory evaluations. Herein, we report the clinicopathologic findings in eight sexually altered cats that were diagnosed with androgen-secreting adrenocortical tumors. Nearly all cats (n = 7) initially were evaluated for inappropriate urination and pungent urine, with additional behavioral concerns including aggression (n = 3) and excess vocalization (n = 4) commonly reported. Penile barbs (n = 5) were identified in all five male cats, and an enlarged clitoris was observed in one female cat. Testing of serum androgen concentrations revealed abnormally high androstenedione (n = 1) or testosterone (n = 7) concentrations. In the five cases with available adrenal tissue, histopathologic evaluation identified either an adrenocortical adenoma (n = 3) or adrenocortical carcinoma (n = 2). Hormonal abnormalities resolved and clinical signs improved in the four cats that underwent surgical adrenalectomy, with each of these cats surviving >1 year. However, clinical signs were minimally impacted with medical treatments, including one cat in which trilostane treatment failed to improve clinical signs or testosterone concentrations. This collection of cases underscores the importance of a detailed physical examination as well as the consideration of endocrine disturbances in cats undergoing evaluation for inappropriate urination or aggression. Furthermore, this report adds to the growing body of evidence that sex-hormone secreting adrenal tumors in cats may be an under-recognized syndrome.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Semantic Scholar: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/37383353