Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Plasma hormone levels linked to pituitary tumor size in dogs
By Granger, Nicolas et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2005·National Veterinary School of Alfort, France·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Plasma pro-opiomelanocortin, pro-adrenocorticotropin hormone, and pituitary adenoma size in dogs with Cushing's disease.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with Cushing's disease, which is caused by a tumor in the pituitary gland, had their blood tested for certain hormone levels to see if these could help predict the size of their tumors. The study found that dogs with higher levels of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) and pro-adrenocorticotropin hormone (pro-ACTH) had larger tumors. Specifically, dogs with a certain ratio of tumor height to brain area had much higher hormone levels compared to those with smaller tumors. This suggests that measuring these hormone levels could help veterinarians understand the size of the tumor without needing imaging tests.
People also search for: dog Cushing's disease symptoms · dog pituitary tumor treatment · high ACTH levels in dogs
Abstract
It is difficult to predict the size of pituitary corticotroph tumors in dogs with Cushing's disease (pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism [PDH]) without pituitary imaging techniques. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between plasma adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) precursor concentration and pituitary size in dogs with Cushing's disease. Plasma concentrations of ACTH precursors (pro-opiomelanocortin [POMC]/pro-ACTH) and pituitary tumor height/brain area were measured in 36 dogs with pituitary corticotroph adenomas of various sizes. There was a correlation between tumor size (measured as the pituitary tumor height/brain area ratio [P/B]) and POMC/pro-ACTH concentration (r = .70; P < .0001). Dogs with P/B > or = 0.40 x 10(-2) mm(-1) had higher concentrations of ACTH precursors than dogs with P/B < 0.40 x 10(-2) mm(-1) (median concentration 85 pmol/L, range 15-1,350 pmol/L, n = 14 versus 15 pmol/L, range 15-108 pmol/L, n = 22; P < .0001). With a threshold of 35 pmol/L of POMC/pro-ACTH concentration, the estimated sensitivity and specificity of the kit were 93% (95% confidence interval [CI], 79-100%) and 86% (95% CI, 73-100%), respectively. We interpret these data as indicating that measurement of POMC and pro-ACTH might be of value in the characterization of tumor size in dogs with Cushing's disease. Low POMC/pro-ACTH concentrations make it unlikely that a large pituitary tumor exists in dogs with PDH.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15715043/