Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Transsphenoidal hypophysectomy surgery success in dogs with pituitary
By Hanson, Jeanette M et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2005·Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Netherlands·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Efficacy of transsphenoidal hypophysectomy in treatment of dogs with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 150 dogs with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism (a condition causing excessive cortisol production) underwent a surgery called transsphenoidal hypophysectomy to remove part of the pituitary gland. The results showed that most dogs had a good chance of surviving for several years after the surgery, especially those with smaller pituitary glands. However, some dogs experienced complications, including a decrease in tear production and a condition called central diabetes insipidus, which affects water balance. Overall, the surgery proved to be an effective treatment, particularly when performed early on dogs with nonenlarged pituitary glands.
People also search for: dog Cushing's disease treatment · pituitary surgery for dogs · dog diabetes insipidus symptoms
Abstract
The long-term survival, disease-free fractions, and the complications of hypophysectomy in 150 dogs with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism (PDH) were examined in a prospective study. Long-term survival and disease-free fractions in relation to pituitary size were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meijer estimate procedure. The 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-year estimated survival rates were 84% (95% confidence interval [CI], 76-89%), 76% (67-83%), 72% (62-79%), and 68% (55-77%), respectively. Treatment failures included procedure-related mortalities (12 dogs) and incomplete hypophysectomies (9 dogs). The 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-year estimated relapse-free fractions were 88% (CI: 80-93%), 75% (64-83%), 66% (54-76%), and 58% (45-70%), respectively. Postoperative reduction of tear production (58 eyes in 47 dogs) was often reversible but remained low until death in 11 eyes of 10 dogs. Central diabetes insipidus (CDI) occurred more frequently (62%) in dogs with enlarged pituitaries than in dogs with nonenlarged pituitaries (44%). Survival and disease-free fractions after hypophysectomy were markedly higher in dogs with nonenlarged pituitaries than in dogs with enlarged pituitaries. Transsphenoidal hypophysectomy is an effective treatment for PDH in dogs. The survival and disease-free fractions after hypophysectomy decrease and the incidence of CDI increases with increasing pituitary size. Therefore, early diagnosis of PDH is important and transsphenoidal hypophysectomy is expected to have the best outcome when used as primary treatment for dogs with nonenlarged or moderately enlarged pituitaries.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16231713/