Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with diabetes insipidus diagnosed with lymphocytic hypophysitis
By Meij, B P et al.·Published in Journal of comparative pathology·2012·Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Netherlands·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Lymphocytic hypophysitis in a dog with diabetes insipidus.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old male German longhaired pointer was brought to the vet for excessive urination and thirst, along with a dull coat and trouble exercising. Tests showed that he had diabetes insipidus, which was managed with a medication called desmopressin. However, further imaging revealed a mass in his pituitary gland that was pressing on the brain. The dog underwent surgery to remove the mass, and the biopsy showed inflammation of the pituitary gland (lymphocytic hypophysitis) without any tumors. After surgery, the dog's condition improved, and he was able to manage his symptoms better.
People also search for: dog diabetes insipidus treatment · German longhaired pointer excessive thirst · dog pituitary gland surgery recovery
Abstract
An 8-year-old male German longhaired pointer was referred for diabetes insipidus responsive to treatment with desmopressin. The dog had polyuria and polydipsia, exercise intolerance and a dull hair coat. Plasma concentrations of thyroid-stimulating hormone, thyroxine, growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 were decreased; plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) was slightly elevated and plasma α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) was within the reference range. Computed tomography revealed a heterogeneously contrast-enhancing pituitary mass compressing the hypothalamus. Transsphenoidal hypophysectomy was performed and microscopical examination of the surgical biopsy samples revealed hypophysitis without evidence of pituitary adenoma. The hypophysitis was characterized by marked lymphocytic infiltration of the adenohypophysis that contained a mixed population of neuroendocrine cells expressing GH, ACTH or α-MSH. The lymphocytes were identified as T cells, resulting in a final diagnosis of lymphocytic hypophysitis strongly resembling human primary lymphocytic hypophysitis.
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/22789859/