Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Suspected primary hyperreninism in a cat with malignant renal sarcoma and global renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system upregulation.
- Journal:
- Journal of veterinary internal medicine
- Year:
- 2022
- Authors:
- Evans, Jeremy et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences · United States
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 14-year-old male cat, who had been neutered and had diabetes, was taken to the vet because he was vomiting, had diarrhea, and had stopped eating. Two weeks earlier, he had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure and started on a medication called furosemide. Tests showed he had low potassium levels, high blood pressure, and a heart condition, along with an enlarged adrenal gland and a mass on his right kidney that was cancerous. He was treated with two medications, and further tests revealed that his body was producing too much renin, a hormone that helps regulate blood pressure, which is unusual for his condition. The findings suggest he might have a rare condition called primary hyperreninism, possibly linked to the kidney tumor.
Abstract
A 14-year-old male castrated domestic medium-hair cat with diabetes mellitus was evaluated for vomiting, diarrhea, and anorexia. Two weeks before presentation, the cat had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure and started on furosemide. Initial diagnostic testing identified hypokalemia, systemic hypertension, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy phenotype, and plasma aldosterone concentration was moderately increased. Abdominal ultrasound examination disclosed bilateral adrenomegaly and a right renal mass, and cytology of a needle aspirate of the mass was consistent with malignant neoplasia. The cat was treated with amlodipine and spironolactone. Because of the unusual presentation for hyperaldosteronism, a comprehensive profile of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) peptides was performed. Results from multiple timepoints indicated persistently and markedly increased plasma renin activity and generalized RAAS upregulation. In addition to the lack of adrenal tumor, the markedly increased plasma renin activity was atypical for primary hyperaldosteronism. These clinical findings are suggestive of primary hyperreninism, a condition previously unreported in cats. The concurrent presence of a renal neoplasm suggests the possibility of a renin-secreting tumor.
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: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34859924/