Transsphenoidal hypophysectomy for the treatment of hypersomatotropism secondary to a pituitary somatotroph adenoma in a dog.

Pituitary-dependent hypersomatotropism is rarely diagnosed in dogs and surgical treatment is not reported. A 6-year-10-month male neutered Patterdale Terrier presented with polyuria, polydipsia, progressive pharyngeal stertor, excessive hair growth and widened facial features and paws. Serum insulin-like growth factor-1 concentration via radioimmunoassay was consistent with hypersomatotropism (1783 ng/mL). A pituitary mass was identified on magnetic resonance and computed tomography imaging. Six weeks later, glucosuria, starved hyperglycemia and serum fructosamine above the reference range (467.6 µmol/L, RI 177-314) were documented, consistent with diabetes mellitus. Transsphenoidal hypophysectomy was performed under general anesthesia without complications. Pituitary histopathology identified an acidophil neoplasm, with positive immunostaining for growth hormone. Postoperatively, there was rapid resolution of clinical, biochemical and morphologic changes of hypersomatotropism with persistence of diabetes mellitus. This case demonstrates successful resolution of hypersomatotropism with ongoing diabetes mellitus in a dog after surgical treatment by transsphenoidal hypophysectomy.

Retrospective study of more than 9000 feline cutaneous tumours in the UK: 2006-2013.

Objectives The aim of the study was to utilise a large database available from a UK-based, commercial veterinary diagnostic laboratory to ascertain the prevalence of different forms of cutaneous neoplasia within the feline population, and to detect any breed, sex or age predilections for the more common tumours. Methods Records from the laboratory were searched for feline submissions received between 31 May 2006 and 31 October 2013. For masses arising within the skin for which histopathology had been performed, the diagnosis was recorded together with the breed, age, sex and neuter status of the cat. Odds ratios for breed predisposition to skin tumours overall, to histologically malignant tumours and to the more commonly occurring tumours were calculated, with the non-pedigree cat population as the control. Results Of the 219,083 feline samples submitted, masses arising within the skin comprised 4.4% and there were 89 different diagnoses recorded for these masses. Just 6.6% of these cases were non-neoplastic in nature, and, of neoplastic masses, 52.7% were considered histologically malignant. The 10 most common skin tumour types accounted for 80.7% of cases, with the four most common being basal cell tumours, fibrosarcomas, squamous cell carcinomas and mast cell tumours. Conclusions and relevance Despite the large number of different diagnoses in this study, a relatively small number of tumour types accounts for the majority of skin masses occurring in cats, most of which are neoplastic in nature. There are a number of breed predispositions for the more common tumour types, although no pedigree breed had increased odds of developing a malignant tumour compared with the non-pedigree cat population; several breeds had significantly decreased odds. Just over half of the neoplastic masses in this study were considered histologically malignant.