Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with diabetes and acromegaly treated by pituitary surgery
By Meij, Björn P et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2010·Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Netherlands·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Successful treatment of acromegaly in a diabetic cat with transsphenoidal hypophysectomy.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
An 11-year-old male cat was brought in for diabetes that wasn't responding to insulin, along with symptoms like excessive hunger, increased thirst, and a dull coat. Tests revealed high levels of growth hormone and an enlarged pituitary gland, indicating a tumor. The cat underwent a specialized surgery to remove the tumor, and just three weeks later, it no longer needed insulin. A year after the surgery, the cat's hormone levels returned to normal, and all symptoms resolved.
People also search for: cat diabetes treatment · cat acromegaly symptoms · insulin-resistant diabetes in cats · cat pituitary tumor surgery
Abstract
UNLABELLED: PATIENT AND SURGICAL TREATMENT: An 11-year-old, castrated male cat was referred for insulin-resistant diabetes mellitus. It had a ravenous appetite, increased body weight, polyuria/polydipsia and a dull hair coat. The cat was receiving 25 IU insulin four times daily but blood glucose concentrations remained elevated. Plasma concentrations of growth hormone (GH) (51 microg/l, reference range 0.8-7.2 microg/l) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) (3871 microg/l, reference range 39-590 microg/l) were highly elevated, whereas those of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol were normal. Computed tomography revealed a thick palatum molle and an enlarged pituitary gland, indicating a pituitary neoplasm. Microsurgical transsphenoidal hypophysectomy was performed and microscopic examination of the surgical specimen revealed an acidophilic, infiltrative pituitary adenoma that showed positive immunostaining for GH. OUTCOME: The clinical signs resolved and 3 weeks after surgery the cat no longer required insulin administration. One year after hypophysectomy the plasma concentrations of GH and IGF-1 were 2.4 microg/l and 113 microg/l, respectively. PRACTICAL RELEVANCE: This is the first report detailing transsphenoidal hypophysectomy as a feasible and effective treatment for feline acromegaly due to a pituitary somatotroph adenoma. Moreover, in this patient, concurrent insulin-resistant diabetes mellitus resolved completely. The surgery is discussed in the context of human and other feline therapies for acromegaly.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20417901/