Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Ovarian remnant causing vulvar swelling in young desexed ferret
By Kopp, Logan et al.·Published in Veterinary Record Case Reports·2025·Priest Lake Veterinary Hospital Nashville Tennessee USA, United States·View original on Crossref →
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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Hormonal, ultrasonographic and histopathological evidence of ovarian remnant syndrome in a young desexed ferret (Mustela putorius furo) in the United States
- Species:
- rodent
Plain-English summary
A 5.5-month-old female ferret was brought in because her vulva was swollen. Tests showed high hormone levels, which could mean she had leftover ovarian tissue or another issue. After giving her a hormone injection, the swelling went down, ruling out adrenal disease. An ultrasound found tissue that looked like an ovary, which was then surgically removed and confirmed to be normal ovarian tissue. Six weeks later, her hormone levels returned to normal, indicating a successful treatment for ovarian remnant syndrome.
People also search for: ferret vulvar swelling · desexed ferret hormone levels · ovarian remnant syndrome treatment in ferrets
Abstract
AbstractA 5.5‐month‐old, commercially bred, female desexed ferret presented for vulvar swelling. Hormonal testing revealed elevations in oestradiol and androstenedione, suspicious for either adrenal disease, an ovarian remnant or ovarian neoplasia. Vulvar swelling resolved following intramuscular administration of human chorionic gonadotropin, thus excluding adrenal disease. Abdominal ultrasound identified a structure resembling a normal ovary caudal to the left kidney, which was excised and histologically diagnosed as normal ovarian tissue. Six weeks after surgery, repeat hormonal testing showed a reduction of oestradiol and androstenedione to levels appropriate for a completely desexed female ferret. Based on the scoping literature review, this is the youngest reported case of a ferret with ovarian remnant syndrome and first case report to demonstrate the combined use of human chorionic gonadotropin response, hormonal assay pre‐ and post‐definitive ovariectomy, and to present ultrasonographic and histological evidence of non‐neoplastic ovarian tissue in a young ferret with ovarian remnant syndrome.
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 Crossref: https://doi.org/10.1002/vrc2.70103