Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with sudden death after finding bilateral adrenal gland cancers
By Nabeta, Rina et al.·Published in The Journal of veterinary medical science·2017·Cooperative Department of Veterinary Medicine, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Clinical and pathological features and outcome of bilateral incidental adrenocortical carcinomas in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 9-year-old spayed female Chihuahua was brought to the vet because she had been lethargic and not eating for a week. Tests showed she had masses on both adrenal glands, but her hormone levels were normal. After receiving fluids, her energy and appetite returned for about eight months. Unfortunately, she suddenly passed away, and a postmortem exam revealed that she had cancer in both adrenal glands that had spread to her liver.
People also search for: dog lethargy and not eating · Chihuahua adrenal gland cancer · dog fluid therapy recovery
Abstract
A 9-year-old, spayed female Chihuahua was presented with a 1-week history of lethargy and anorexia. Abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography found bilateral adrenal masses without metastasis. Serum cortisol levels that were sampled before and after an adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation test were within reference ranges. Lethargy and anorexia completely resolved after short-term fluid therapy; the clinical signs did not occur for approximately 8 months until her sudden death. A postmortem examination revealed bilateral adrenocortical carcinomas and liver metastasis. Primary adrenocortical carcinomas developed in the dog met the definition of bilateral incidental adrenal gland masses (IAGMs). This is the first case report to demonstrate based on histological identification that adrenocortical carcinomas cause bilateral IAGMs in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28781295/