Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Hypersomatotropism and Hypercortisolism Caused by a Plurihormonal Pituitary Adenoma in a Dog.
- Journal:
- Journal of veterinary internal medicine
- Year:
- 2025
- Authors:
- Soler Arias, Elber A et al.
- Affiliation:
- Hospital Escuela de Veterinaria
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 12-year-old male Labrador Retriever was brought to the vet because he was drinking and urinating a lot, eating more than usual, had joint pain, and showed signs of acromegaly, which is a condition that causes abnormal growth. Tests showed that he had high levels of a growth factor and problems with hormone regulation, indicating issues with his pituitary gland. A scan revealed that his pituitary gland was enlarged, and he was treated with a medication called cabergoline, which initially helped reduce some of his symptoms and hormone levels. However, after seven months, his hormone levels rose again, and his joint pain worsened, leading to the difficult decision to euthanize him. An examination after his passing confirmed that he had a tumor in his pituitary gland that was producing both growth hormone and another hormone, which explained his condition.
Abstract
A 12-year-old, male Labrador Retriever was presented because of polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia, joint pain, and physical features consistent with acromegaly. Circulating insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) concentration was increased (> 1000 ng/mL; reference interval [RI], 42-449), suggestive of hypersomatotropism. An abnormal low-dose dexamethasone suppression test and increased circulating adrenocorticotropic (ACTH) concentration indicated pituitary-dependent hypercortisolism. Computed tomography identified an enlarged pituitary gland. Treatment with cabergoline initially decreased circulating IGF-1 and ACTH concentrations and urinary cortisol-to-creatinine ratio (UCCR), with a notable reduction in acromegalic physical features. However, 7 months after the start of cabergoline treatment, IGF-1, ACTH, and UCCR had increased again, although pituitary gland size remained stable. Because of worsening joint pain, euthanasia was performed. On necropsy, double immunohistochemistry identified pituitary tumor cells with cytoplasmic co-expression of both growth hormone (GH) and ACTH, consistent with a monomorphic plurihormonal macroadenoma. This case shows that concurrent hypersomatotropism and hypercortisolism can occur in dogs caused by a plurihormonal pituitary adenoma.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40524601/