Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cortisol levels and adrenal size in dogs with two types of Cushing's
By Frank, L A et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2015·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Serum cortisol concentrations in dogs with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism and atypical hyperadrenocorticism.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with atypical hyperadrenocorticism (AHAC), which shows symptoms of high cortisol levels but normal screening tests, had their cortisol levels and adrenal gland sizes measured. The study found that dogs with AHAC had higher cortisol levels than healthy dogs but lower than those with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism (PDH). The adrenal glands of dogs with AHAC were similar in size to those with PDH, suggesting that excess cortisol may play a role in AHAC. Understanding these differences can help veterinarians better diagnose and treat dogs with these conditions.
People also search for: dog high cortisol symptoms · atypical hyperadrenocorticism treatment · pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Atypical hyperadrenocorticism (AHAC) is considered when dogs have clinical signs of hypercortisolemia with normal hyperadrenocorticism screening tests. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To compare cortisol concentrations and adrenal gland size among dogs with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism (PDH), atypical hyperadrenocorticism (AHAC), and healthy controls. ANIMALS: Ten healthy dogs, 7 dogs with PDH, and 8 dogs with AHAC. METHOD: Dogs were prospectively enrolled between November 2011 and January 2013. Dogs were diagnosed with PDH or AHAC based on clinical signs and positive screening test results (PDH) or abnormal extended adrenal hormone panel results (AHAC). Transverse adrenal gland measurements were obtained by abdominal ultrasound. Hourly mean cortisol (9 samplings), sum of hourly cortisol measurements and adrenal gland sizes were compared among the 3 groups. RESULTS: Hourly (control, 1.4 ± 0.6 μg/dL; AHAC, 2.9 ± 1.3; PDH, 4.3 ± 1.5) (mean, SD) and sum (control, 11.3 ± 3.3; AHAC, 23.2 ± 7.7; PDH, 34.7 ± 9.9) cortisol concentrations differed significantly between the controls and AHAC (P < .01) and PDH (P < .01) groups. Hourly (P < .01) but not sum (P = .27) cortisol concentrations differed between AHAC and PDH dogs. Average transverse adrenal gland diameter of control dogs (5.3 ± 1.2 mm) was significantly less than dogs with PDH (6.4 ± 1.4; P = .02) and AHAC (7.2 ± 1.5; P < .01); adrenal gland diameter did not differ (P = .18) between dogs with AHAC and PDH. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Serum cortisol concentrations in dogs with AHAC were increased compared to controls but less than dogs with PDH, while adrenal gland diameter was similar between dogs with AHAC and PDH. These findings suggest cortisol excess could contribute to the pathophysiology of AHAC.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25411029/