Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with high blood pressure caused by thyroid gland tumor
By Simpson, Andrew C & McCown, Jennifer L·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2009·College of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Systemic hypertension in a dog with a functional thyroid gland adenocarcinoma.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 12-year-old spayed female Alaskan Malamute was brought in for severe panting, increased thirst and urination, weight loss, hind limb weakness, and decreased appetite. The vet discovered that she had very high blood pressure and a mass on her thyroid gland, which was diagnosed as a thyroid gland adenocarcinoma (a type of cancer). After surgery to remove the affected thyroid tissue, her blood pressure returned to normal. She also received chemotherapy and radiation, and with the help of additional medications, her calcium and thyroid hormone levels stabilized.
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Abstract
CASE DESCRIPTION: A 12-year-old 21.9-kg (48.48-lb) spayed female Alaskan Malamute with a long-term history of panting, polydypsia and polyuria, weight loss, hind limb weakness, and a decrease in appetite was evaluated for hypertension. CLINICAL FINDINGS: Use of Doppler sphygmomanometry revealed a systolic blood pressure of 250 mm Hg (mean value for 5 consecutive measurements). Palpation of the ventral cervical region revealed a fixed asymmetric mass in the area of the lobes of the thyroid gland. The portion of the mass on the right side was approximately 2 x 2 cm, whereas the portion of the mass on the left side was approximately 1 x 1.5 cm. Hyperthyroidism was diagnosed on the basis of high serum thyroxine concentrations. Thyroidectomy of both lobes of the gland was performed. Histologic examination revealed a bilateral, multilobulated, and encapsulated thyroid gland adenocarcinoma. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME: Thyroidectomy of both lobes of the gland was performed with clinical resolution of hypertension. The dog was treated postoperatively with chemotherapeutics, including doxorubicin and carboplatin, and external beam radiation. Calcium and thyroxine homeostasis fluctuated; however, the dog finally achieved concentrations within the respective reference ranges through the administration of calcitriol, calcium carbonate, and levothyroxine. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This report describes concurrent hypertension in a dog with a functional thyroid gland adenocarcinoma with subsequent return of blood pressure values to within reference ranges after thyroidectomy.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20001784/