Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with thyroid cancer and parathyroid tumor causing high calcium
By DeRouen, Abigail Elizabeth·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2023·From BluePearl Specialty: BluePearl Veterinary Partners·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Concurrent Parathyroid Adenoma and Thyroid Carcinoma in a Domestic Shorthaired Feline.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old female spayed domestic shorthair cat was brought in due to ongoing high calcium levels, lethargy, vomiting, and diarrhea for the past 11 months. She also had a history of urinary tract infections and kidney issues. After various tests, the vet found signs of chronic kidney disease and tumors in her thyroid and parathyroid glands. The cat underwent surgery to remove these tumors, but afterward, she developed low calcium levels and anemia, which were treated with calcium supplements. The surgery revealed a thyroid cancer and a parathyroid adenoma, a rare combination in cats.
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Abstract
A 10 yr old female spayed domestic shorthair was referred for an 11mo history of persistent total hypercalcemia and elevated ionized calcium with intermittent episodes of lethargy, vomiting, and diarrhea with a history of recurrent urinary tract infections and intermittently elevated kidney values. An abdominal ultrasound, thoracic radiographs, cervical ultrasound, and ionized calcium level, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and PTH-related peptide (PTHrp) levels were assessed. Results were consistent with chronic kidney disease, splenomegaly, diffuse thickening of small intestines, nodular lesions noted in the left thyroid and right parathyroid, and elevated ionized calcium, PTH, and elevated PTHrp levels. A left thyroidectomy and right cranial parathyroidectomy were performed. Hypocalcemia and anemia developed postoperatively, which were managed with calcium carbonate, calcitriol, and calcium gluconate and benign neglect of anemia. Histopathology was consistent with a left thyroid carcinoma and right cranial parathyroid adenoma. Thyroid carcinoma and parathyroid adenomas have not previously been reported to occur concurrently in domestic felines and should be considered when ionized calcium is elevated with both PTH and PTHrp levels increased in addition to ultrasonographic lesions.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36584312/