Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Outcomes of radiosurgery for cats with insulin resistance
By Watson-Skaggs, Maegan L et al.·Published in American journal of veterinary research·2021·Department of Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Endocrine response and outcome in 14 cats with insulin resistance and acromegaly treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (17 Gy).
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 14 cats with insulin resistance and acromegaly (a condition caused by excess growth hormone) underwent a treatment called stereotactic radiosurgery to help manage their symptoms. After the treatment, most of the cats needed less insulin, and three even achieved complete remission from diabetes. While some cats experienced mild side effects like drowsiness and hair loss, the overall survival time was promising, with some cats living over two years after treatment. This suggests that stereotactic radiosurgery can be a beneficial option for managing these conditions in cats.
People also search for: cat insulin resistance treatment · acromegaly in cats · diabetes remission in cats · stereotactic radiosurgery for cats · cat growth hormone issues
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe clinical outcomes in cats with insulin resistance and acromegaly treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). ANIMALS: 14 client-owned cats. PROCEDURES: Medical records of cats with insulin resistance and acromegaly treated with SRS (17 Gy) between August 2013 and November 2019 at a single institution were reviewed. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to evaluate overall survival time. RESULTS: Acute adverse effects of SRS included somnolence (n = 2) and alopecia (1). Delayed adverse effects of SRS included unspecified neurologic complications (n = 1; 481 days), seizures (1; 1,541 days), and hypothyroidism (1; 64 days). Exogenous insulin requirements decreased in 10 of the 14 cats, with a median time to lowest insulin dose of 399 days (range, 42 to 879 days). Complete diabetic remission was achieved in 3 cats. The median overall survival time was 741 days (95% CI, 353 to 1,129 days). Six cats were still alive at the end of the study period, with a median follow-up time of 725 days. In 7 of the 8 cats that had died, death was presumptively attributed to acromegaly owing to continued insulin resistance, organ failure, or altered neurologic status. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The SRS protocol was well tolerated and associated with survival times similar to those reported previously. Most cats had decreased exogenous insulin requirements after SRS. Latency to an endocrine response was highly variable, emphasizing the need for careful ongoing diabetic monitoring of acromegalic cats after pituitary gland irradiation.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34773702/