Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with insulinoma nerve damage improved by corticosteroids
By Van Ham, L et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·1997·Department of Small Animal Medicine and Clinical Biology·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Treatment of a dog with an insulinoma-related peripheral polyneuropathy with corticosteroids.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A crossbreed dog with a history of weakness in all four legs was diagnosed with a condition related to insulinoma, which is a tumor that affects insulin production. The dog was treated with frequent small meals and corticosteroids, leading to significant improvement in mobility, allowing the dog to walk almost normally again. Unfortunately, the dog later had uncontrollable seizures and was euthanized, revealing a pancreatic tumor and nerve damage upon examination. This case suggests that the nerve issues might be linked to the immune system's response to the insulinoma.
People also search for: dog weakness in legs · insulinoma treatment for dogs · corticosteroids for dog nerve problems
Abstract
A crossbreed dog with a history of a chronic progressive tetraparesis had an insulinoma-related peripheral polyneuropathy. Frequent feeding and treatment with corticosteroids resulted in recovery from a non-ambulatory to an almost completely normal clinical state, despite the persistence of hypoglycaemia and hyperinsulinism. After euthanasia for uncontrollable seizures, the presence of a beta-cell carcinoma of the pancreas and extensive axonal degeneration of the peripheral nerves was confirmed by histopathological examination. These findings may indicate an immune-mediated pathogenesis for insulinoma-related peripheral polyneuropathy.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9265710/