Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Skin problems as the only sign of Cushing's disease in 10 dogs
By Zur, Gila & White, Stephen D·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2011·Veterinary Teaching Hospital·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Hyperadrenocorticism in 10 dogs with skin lesions as the only presenting clinical signs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Ten dogs, mostly older and small breeds, were brought to the vet for skin problems like hair loss and infections, but they showed no other signs of illness. After testing, they were diagnosed with hyperadrenocorticism (HAC), a condition that affects hormone levels. Most of the dogs had skin infections and other skin issues, but after treatment, eight of them saw their skin problems improve significantly. This case highlights that skin issues alone can sometimes indicate HAC, so if your dog has persistent skin problems, it might be worth discussing this condition with your vet.
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Abstract
Ten dogs that had skin lesions as the only presenting signs of hyperadrenocorticism (HAC) and as the owners' primary complaint are described. Dogs were included if the initial examination was for skin disease, there were no signs of systemic illness on initial presentation and there was a confirmed diagnosis of HAC by specific screening tests. Dogs were excluded if they had a severe disease that might interfere with screening tests for HAC or if the screening tests were not diagnostic. There were five males and five females; six dogs were intact. Nine dogs were diagnosed at ≥7 years. Eight dogs weighed ≤10 kg. Alopecia was present in nine dogs. Eight dogs had bacterial pyoderma, five had hyperpigmentation, and four had thin skin. One dog had unresolved dermatophytosis. Skin lesions resolved after treatment in eight dogs. One dog was not treated and one was lost to follow-up. This study showed that skin lesions may be the only clinical signs of HAC. The presence of the more common clinical signs of HAC, such as a non-pruritic, truncal alopecia and/or thin skin, without any systemic signs of HAC and/or the presence of poorly responsive skin infections warrant screening for this disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22058349/