Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with large pituitary tumor and seizures treated over 4 years
By Del Magno, Sara et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2019·From the Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Sequential Treatment of a Large Pituitary Corticotroph Neoplasm and Associated Neurological Signs in a Dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old male Maltese was brought in for seizures and was diagnosed with a large pituitary tumor causing high cortisol levels (pituitary-dependent hypercortisolism). He underwent surgery to remove the tumor and was seizure-free for three years, but then his symptoms returned. The vet started him on a medication called trilostane, and when new neurological signs appeared, imaging showed the tumor had regrown. The dog received radiation therapy, which helped him live without disease for another three years. Unfortunately, a more aggressive tumor was found after he passed away, indicating it had transformed into a more serious form of cancer.
People also search for: Maltese seizures treatment · pituitary tumor in dogs · dog radiation therapy for tumors
Abstract
No standardized treatment guidelines are reported in veterinary medicine for dogs with large pituitary corticotroph neoplasms causing neurological signs, and such dogs usually have a short overall survival. When these dogs undergo pituitary surgery and the tumor regrows there are few reports of subsequent treatments. A 7 yr old male Maltese diagnosed with pituitary-dependent hypercortisolism developed seizures in conjunction with a large pituitary corticotroph adenoma and underwent transsphenoidal hypophysectomy. After 3 yr of clinical remission, hypercortisolism recurred, and trilostane therapy was initiated. One year later, the dog developed new neurological signs and computed tomography revealed regrowth of a large pituitary mass that was then treated with radiation therapy. The dog lived disease-free for 3 more yr. At postmortem examination, a more aggressive pituitary neoplasm than the one examined at the time of surgery was found, which is suggestive of malignant transformation into a carcinoma despite the absence of convincing metastasis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30776261/