Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Ferrets with adrenal tumors treated by removing one adrenal gland
By Lawrence, H J et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·1993·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Unilateral adrenalectomy as a treatment for adrenocortical tumors in ferrets: five cases (1990-1992).
- Species:
- rodent
Plain-English summary
Five adult spayed ferrets were brought in with symptoms like hair loss on their tails and bellies, as well as swelling around their vulvas. An ultrasound revealed irregular masses near their adrenal glands, which are responsible for hormone production. The vets performed surgery to remove one of the adrenal glands in each ferret, and after examining the tissue, they found four had benign tumors and one had a cancerous tumor. After the surgery, all the ferrets' symptoms went away, indicating that the tumors had been causing hormone imbalances.
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Abstract
Adrenocortical tumors were diagnosed in 5 adult spayed ferrets. Four ferrets had bilaterally symmetrical alopecia of the caudal femoral region, abdomen, and tail, and 1 had alopecia of the distal limbs and feet. All 5 ferrets had vulvar swelling. During abdominal ultrasonography, irregular masses, believed to involve the adrenal glands, were seen in all 5 ferrets. Unilateral adrenalectomy was performed successfully in each ferret by use of ventral midline celiotomy. On histologic examination of biopsy samples, 4 ferrets were found to have adrenocortical adenomas, and 1 ferret was found to have an adrenocortical adenocarcinoma. All clinical signs resolved after adrenalectomy, suggesting that the adrenocortical tumors had been secreting adrenocortical hormones.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8407488/