Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pituitary Surgery: Changing the Paradigm in Veterinary Medicine in the United States.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association
- Year:
- 2021
- Authors:
- Rivenburg, Rachel et al.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
In veterinary medicine, the most common way to treat conditions caused by tumors in the pituitary gland, like pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism (a hormone imbalance) and hypersomatotropism/acromegaly (excess growth hormone), is through medication. However, this approach doesn't cure the problem, and imaging of the pituitary gland is often not done early on. Getting an early scan can help track the tumor's growth and plan for surgery or radiation treatment. Surgery is the only way to potentially cure these tumors, but it is usually only considered after medication has failed or if the pet shows signs of neurological issues, which can make surgery more difficult. Research shows that dogs with smaller tumors have better outcomes after surgery, so it’s important for pet owners to discuss early imaging and treatment options with their veterinarian.
Abstract
Medical management is currently the most common treatment for pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism and hypersomatotropism/acromegaly in veterinary medicine. Medical management does not provide a cure for either disease process, and rarely is pituitary imaging a part of initial diagnostics. Early pituitary imaging in animals with clinically functional pituitary tumors provides a baseline assessment, allows monitoring of tumor changes, and permits radiation and surgical planning. Surgery is the only treatment for pituitary tumors that has curative intent and allows for a definitive diagnosis. Surgical removal of pituitary tumors via transsphenoidal hypophysectomy is an effective treatment for clinical pituitary tumors in patients exhibiting endocrine abnormalities associated with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism and hypersomatotropism. Surgery, however, is rarely pursued until patients have failed medical management, and often not until they are showing neurologic signs, making surgical success challenging. It is well documented that dogs surgically treated when the pituitary mass is small have a lower mortality, a lower recurrence rate, and a longer survival than those with larger pituitary masses. Providing owners with the option of early pituitary imaging in addition to medical, surgical, and radiation treatment options should be the standard of care for animals diagnosed with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism or hypersomatotropism.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33450023/