Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with multiple leg lameness and joint swelling from adrenal cancer
By Madeleine Swindell et al.·Published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science·2025·College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States, CH·View original on DOAJ →
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Original publication title: Osteolytic metastases from a pheochromocytoma presenting as multiple limb lameness and joint swelling in a dog: a case report
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 6-year-old neutered male mixed-breed dog was brought in for multiple limb lameness and joint swelling that developed over three weeks. Tests showed a mass in the right adrenal gland and extensive spread of cancer to the bones, lungs, liver, and kidneys. Unfortunately, due to the poor prognosis, the dog was humanely euthanized. A postmortem examination confirmed the presence of a malignant tumor called a pheochromocytoma, which caused the dog's symptoms. This case highlights the need for vets to consider this type of tumor when dogs show signs similar to joint problems.
People also search for: dog joint swelling · dog lameness causes · pheochromocytoma in dogs · dog cancer symptoms · mixed-breed dog euthanasia
Abstract
Clinical signs due to distant bony metastasis from a malignant pheochromocytoma are rare in dogs, with the majority of reported cases presenting as single-limb lameness. This case report describes a 6-year-old neutered male mixed-breed dog presenting with multiple limb lameness and joint swelling that occurred over 3 weeks. Computed tomography revealed a mass in the right adrenal gland with extensive intrathoracic, intra-abdominal, and skeletal metastases. Because of the poor prognosis, the dog was humanely euthanized. A postmortem examination revealed a primary neoplasm of the right adrenal gland with metastases affecting the contralateral adrenal gland, kidneys, lungs, liver, and bones of the appendicular and axial skeletons. Immunohistochemistry confirmed a metastatic neuroendocrine carcinoma of the right adrenal gland, consistent with a pheochromocytoma. This case is a unique presentation of polyostotic metastases from a pheochromocytoma and emphasizes the importance of including this tumor in the differential diagnosis of dogs presenting with symptoms identical to those of polyarthritis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2025.1585969