Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Rat with sudden behavior change and blindness - could it be a tumor?
By Mayer, Jörg et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2011·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Extralabel use of cabergoline in the treatment of a pituitary adenoma in a rat.
- Species:
- rodent
Plain-English summary
A 24-month-old male albino pet rat weighing about 1.43 pounds was brought in because he had been drinking less, seemed blind, and was acting differently for the past three weeks. During the exam, the rat was moving but appeared unaware of his surroundings and was acting aggressively. An MRI showed a large tumor in his pituitary gland, which is a common issue in older rats. He was treated with cabergoline, a medication that helped shrink the tumor significantly for a while, and he showed no signs of illness for six months. Unfortunately, after about eight and a half months, he became unwell again, and a follow-up MRI showed that the tumor had grown back, leading to the decision to euthanize him.
Abstract
CASE DESCRIPTION: A 0.65-kg (1.43-lb) 24-month-old sexually intact male albino pet rat was examined because of a 3-week history of hypodipsia, apparent blindness, and sudden change in behavior. CLINICAL FINDINGS: The rat was able to move around its cage but appeared unaware of its surroundings, was visually unresponsive, and seemed unusually aggressive. The rat's hind limbs appeared mildly paretic, and it had sporadic difficulty placing its hind limbs on a flat surface. Given the rat's age, history, and physical examination findings, the primary differential diagnosis was a pituitary tumor. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the rat's brain was performed and revealed a large pituitary mass, which was indicative of a tumor. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME: Cabergoline (0.6 mg/kg [0.27 mg/lb], PO, q 72 h) was administered. On follow-up MRI 2 months later, the pituitary mass had substantially decreased in size. For 6 months following the second MRI study, the rat continued to receive the same dosage of cabergoline and had no clinical signs of disease or unusual behavior. However, at 8.5 months after the start of the treatment, the rat was in poor condition and had clinical signs similar to those initially. A third MRI study was performed and revealed substantial regrowth of the mass. The rat was euthanized and a necropsy was performed; a histopathologic diagnosis of pituitary adenoma was made. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Pituitary adenomas have long been recognized as a common finding in geriatric rats (> 18 months old). Affected rats may respond favorably to oral administration of cabergoline.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21879967/