Silent Pituitary Corticotroph Carcinoma in a Young Dog

An 11-month-old neutered female weimaraner was humanely destroyed 6days after an acute onset of neurological signs. At necropsy examination the pituitary gland was replaced by a large neoplastic mass that compressed and infiltrated the overlying hypothalamus. Small nodules were detected in the splee...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of comparative pathology 2012-05, Vol.146 (4), p.327-331
Main Authors: Gestier, S., Cook, R.W., Agnew, W., Kiupel, M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
ACTH
Adenocarcinoma - metabolism
Adenocarcinoma - pathology
Adenocarcinoma - veterinary
Adrenocorticotropic hormone
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone - metabolism
Animals
Autopsy
Brain
Carcinoma
corticotroph
dog
Dog Diseases - metabolism
Dog Diseases - pathology
Dogs
Female
Hormones
Kidney
Metastases
Nodules
Parathyroid
Pituitary
Pituitary (anterior)
pituitary carcinoma
Pituitary Gland - metabolism
Pituitary Gland - pathology
Pituitary Neoplasms - metabolism
Pituitary Neoplasms - pathology
Pituitary Neoplasms - veterinary
Spleen
Stomach
Thyroid
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Summary:An 11-month-old neutered female weimaraner was humanely destroyed 6days after an acute onset of neurological signs. At necropsy examination the pituitary gland was replaced by a large neoplastic mass that compressed and infiltrated the overlying hypothalamus. Small nodules were detected in the spleen, kidneys and stomach. Adrenal, thyroid and parathyroid glands were normal in size. The primary pituitary mass, visceral nodules and microscopical metastases detected within the ventricles and leptomeninges of the brain comprised polygonal, chromophobic neoplastic cells, which labelled strongly for adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) on immunohistochemical examination. These findings, in the absence of clinical or pathological evidence of pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism, support a diagnosis of endocrinologically-inactive (‘silent’) pituitary corticotroph (ACTH-containing) carcinoma.
ISSN:0021-9975
1532-3129
DOI:10.1016/j.jcpa.2011.08.002