Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Imaging and hormone test results in dogs with pituitary Cushing's
By Wood, Farica D et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2007·Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Diagnostic imaging findings and endocrine test results in dogs with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism that did or did not have neurologic abnormalities: 157 cases (1989-2005).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 157 dogs with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism (PDH), a condition that can cause various symptoms including increased thirst and urination, were examined to see if they had any brain tumors and if they showed signs of neurological problems like lethargy or inappetence. The study found that many dogs with PDH had detectable pituitary tumors, but the presence of neurological symptoms didn't always correlate with the size or presence of a tumor. In fact, vague signs like lethargy were more common in dogs with larger tumors. This suggests that not all dogs with neurological issues have detectable tumors, and treatment may need to focus on managing the PDH symptoms.
People also search for: dog pituitary tumor symptoms · PDH in dogs treatment · dog lethargy and inappetence · signs of brain tumor in dogs · dog hyperadrenocorticism management
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To compare imaging findings in dogs with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism (PDH) that did or did not have neurologic abnormalities. Design-Retrospective case series. ANIMALS: 157 dogs with PDH that did (n = 73) or did not (84) have neurologic abnormalities. PROCEDURES: Medical records were reviewed for the presence and nature of clinical signs of CNS disease, and computed tomographic and magnetic resonance images were reviewed for evidence of a pituitary tumor. RESULTS: 60 of the 84 (71%) dogs without neurologic abnormalities and 48 of the 73 (66%) dogs with neurologic abnormalities had a detectable pituitary tumor. However, 17 of the 84 (20%) dogs without neurologic abnormalities had a pituitary macrotumor (ie, a tumor > or = 10 mm in height), and 41 of the 73 (56%) dogs with neurologic abnormalities did not have a detectable pituitary tumor or had a pituitary microtumor. Vague signs of CNS dysfunction (ie, lethargy, inappetence, and mental dullness) were more specific for detection of pituitary macrotumors than were CNS-specific signs (ie, seizure or blindness). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggested that there was no apparent relationship between a pituitary tumor and development of neurologic abnormalities in dogs with PDH. In addition, neurologic abnormalities in dogs with pituitary macrotumors were often vague (ie, lethargy, inappetence, and mental dullness).
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17916035/