Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia causing hormone issues in a cat
By Knighton, Elizabeth L·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2004·VCA Cat Hospital of Philadelphia, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia secondary to 11beta-hydroxylase deficiency in a domestic cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A calico domestic shorthair cat was brought to the vet because she was not urinating normally and was drinking a lot of water. After some tests, the vet found that her adrenal glands were not working properly, leading to a condition called congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to a specific enzyme deficiency. The cat also had some unusual reproductive anatomy, with no descended testes but normal female organs. Treatment with prednisone helped reduce her symptoms, although it didn't completely normalize her hormone levels.
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Abstract
A calico-colored domestic shorthair cat was examined because of possible cryptorchidism. The cat had a fully formed penis, prepuce, and scrotum, but no descended testes, and exploratory laparotomy revealed a grossly normal female internal genital tract (ie, 2 ovaries, 2 uterine horns, and uterine body). Chromosomal analysis revealed a normal female (38,XX) karyotype. Four months later, the cat was examined because of polyuria, polydipsia, and inappropriate urination. Serum cortisol and aldosterone concentrations were low, and results of an ACTH stimulation test were suggestive of decreased adrenal gland function. Serum ACTH, testosterone, androstenedione, progesterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, 11-deoxycortisol, and deoxycorticosterone concentrations were high, and a diagnosis of congenital adrenal hyperplasia secondary to 11beta-hydroxylase deficiency was made. Treatment with prednisone diminished clinical signs but had a variable effect on corticosteroids hormone concentrations. To the author's knowledge, this is the first report of congenital adrenal hyperplasia in a cat.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15323380/