Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Ultrasound sizes of adrenal glands in healthy dogs and dogs
By Melián, Carlos et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2021·Department of Animal Pathology, Spain·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Ultrasound evaluation of adrenal gland size in clinically healthy dogs and in dogs with hyperadrenocorticism.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study looked at the size of adrenal glands in healthy dogs and those with hyperadrenocorticism (HAC), a condition that can cause symptoms like increased thirst, urination, and a pot-bellied appearance. Researchers found that ultrasound is very effective at detecting enlarged adrenal glands in dogs with HAC, with a 95.6% accuracy rate. Most dogs with HAC showed signs of either pituitary-dependent or adrenal-dependent causes for their condition. This information can help veterinarians better diagnose and treat dogs suspected of having HAC.
People also search for: dog adrenal gland size · hyperadrenocorticism symptoms in dogs · ultrasound for dog adrenal problems
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Precise reference intervals of adrenal gland thickness are required for detection of adrenomegaly in dogs with hyperadrenocorticism (HAC). METHODS: Eighty-six clinically healthy dogs were prospectively included, and 91 dogs with untreated HAC were retrospectively evaluated. Dorso-ventral adrenal gland thickness was ultrasonographically measured on the sagittal plane. Dogs were classified into four body weight categories, and those with HAC were also ultrasonographically classified as consistent with pituitary-dependent HAC (PDH), adrenal-dependent HAC (FAT), equivocal adrenal asymmetry (EAA), or normal adrenal thickness. RESULTS: The upper limits for left adrenal gland in clinically healthy dogs were 5.1 mm (≥2.5-5 kg), 5.5 mm (>5-10 kg), 6.4 mm (>10-20 kg), and 7.3 mm (>20-40 kg), and for right adrenal gland the upper limits were 5.3 mm (≥2.5-5 kg), 6.8 mm (>5-10 kg), 7.5 mm (>10-20 kg), and 8.7 mm (>20-40 kg). The sensitivity of ultrasound to detect adrenomegaly in dogs with HAC was 95.6%. Most dogs with HAC (56.0%) had ultrasound findings consistent with either PDH or FAT; however, EAA was commonly occurring in 39.6% of dogs with HAC. CONCLUSIONS: The sensitivity of ultrasonography to detect adrenomegaly in dogs with HAC is high when using four weight categories. EAA is common in dogs with HAC.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33891740/