Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with enlarged pituitary causing high growth hormone and cortisol
By Soler Arias, Elber A et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2025·Hospital Escuela de Veterinaria·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Hypersomatotropism and Hypercortisolism Caused by a Plurihormonal Pituitary Adenoma in a Dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 12-year-old male Labrador Retriever was brought to the vet due to excessive thirst, frequent urination, increased appetite, joint pain, and physical changes like enlarged features. Tests revealed high levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and issues with hormone regulation, indicating a pituitary tumor affecting hormone production. The dog was treated with cabergoline, which initially helped reduce some symptoms and hormone levels, but after seven months, the symptoms returned, and the dog's joint pain worsened. Sadly, the decision was made to euthanize the dog due to the ongoing pain, and a necropsy confirmed the presence of a hormone-producing tumor in the pituitary gland.
People also search for: dog joint pain treatment · Labrador Retriever excessive thirst · dog pituitary tumor symptoms
Abstract
A 12-year-old, male Labrador Retriever was presented because of polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia, joint pain, and physical features consistent with acromegaly. Circulating insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) concentration was increased (> 1000 ng/mL; reference interval [RI], 42-449), suggestive of hypersomatotropism. An abnormal low-dose dexamethasone suppression test and increased circulating adrenocorticotropic (ACTH) concentration indicated pituitary-dependent hypercortisolism. Computed tomography identified an enlarged pituitary gland. Treatment with cabergoline initially decreased circulating IGF-1 and ACTH concentrations and urinary cortisol-to-creatinine ratio (UCCR), with a notable reduction in acromegalic physical features. However, 7 months after the start of cabergoline treatment, IGF-1, ACTH, and UCCR had increased again, although pituitary gland size remained stable. Because of worsening joint pain, euthanasia was performed. On necropsy, double immunohistochemistry identified pituitary tumor cells with cytoplasmic co-expression of both growth hormone (GH) and ACTH, consistent with a monomorphic plurihormonal macroadenoma. This case shows that concurrent hypersomatotropism and hypercortisolism can occur in dogs caused by a plurihormonal pituitary adenoma.
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/40524601/