Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Ultrasound changes in adrenal glands of dogs with partial Cushing's
By Mayr, Matthias et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2024·Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, Germany·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Ultrasonographic adrenal gland changes in dogs with Cushing's syndrome with a low-dose dexamethasone suppression test result consistent with partial suppression or escape pattern.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 49 dogs diagnosed with Cushing's syndrome (a condition caused by excess cortisol) underwent a specific test to see how their adrenal glands responded. The results showed that many of these dogs had either partial suppression or an escape pattern, which are signs of a particular type of Cushing's called pituitary-dependent hypercortisolism. The study found that while most dogs had symmetrical adrenal glands, about 20% showed asymmetry, which may indicate a more complex issue. Follow-up evaluations suggested that the size of the adrenal glands in these dogs was smaller than previously thought, but the findings were still consistent with the diagnosis.
People also search for: dog Cushing's syndrome symptoms · adrenal gland size in dogs · treatment for dog Cushing's disease
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cushing's syndrome (CS) in dogs is mainly caused by pituitary-dependent (PDH) or adrenal-dependent (ADH) hypercortisolism. Result of the low-dose-dexamethasone suppression test (LDDST) with partial suppression (PSP) or escape pattern (EP) are indicative of PDH. No data concerning the ultrasonographic characteristics of the adrenal glands from dogs with these patterns exists. OBJECTIVE: To describe ultrasonographic appearance of adrenal glands in dogs with CS, with a LDDS test result consistent with PSP or EP. ANIMALS: Forty-nine client owned dogs with a diagnosis CS with a PSP or EP in the LDDST. METHODS: Retrospective evaluation of ultrasonographic adrenal gland size, shape and echogenicity. The dorsoventral thickness ratio (DVTR) and dorsoventral thickness difference ratio (DVTDR) was calculated. RESULTS: PSP and EP occurred in 42.9 and 57.1% of all LDDST. The median maximum width of the left adrenal gland was 0.71 cm (IQR, 0.24 cm) and of the right 0.75 cm (IQR, 0.19 cm) in all dogs and there was no difference between both patterns. There was a significant correlation between adrenal gland width and weight (left adrenal gland = 0.002, right adrenal gland = 0.017). In 9/49 dogs (18.4%), an adrenal asymmetry with a DVTDR >0.3 was present. In 7 of these 9 dogs, follow-up was available indicating presence of PDH. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Based on follow up, PSP and EP of the LDDST were very supportive of PDH. Bilaterally symmetric adrenomegaly is a characteristic finding in dogs with PDH, however the size of adrenal gland width in this cohort was smaller than previously reported. Adrenal asymmetry was noted in approximately 20%.
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/39698309/