Open AccessFeline Acromegaly: An Underdiagnosed Endocrinopathy?
Author(s) -
Niessen S.J.M.,
Petrie G.,
Gaudiano F.,
Khalid M.,
Smyth J.B.A.,
Mahoney P.,
Church D.B.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of veterinary internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.356
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1939-1676
pISSN - 0891-6640
DOI - 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2007.tb03041.x
Subject(s) - acromegaly , medicine , cats , magnetic resonance imaging , diabetes mellitus , growth hormone , hormone , endocrinology , radiology
Background : Feline acromegaly has been reported infrequently in the veterinary literature and current knowledge of this endocrinopathy is based on limited numbers of animals with relatively advanced clinical signs. Hypothesis : This study was undertaken to screen diabetic cats for the presence of acromegaly. Animals : Diabetic cats with variable control examined by general practitioners in the United Kingdom. Methods : Blood samples were screened for the possible presence of acromegaly with basal serum concentrations of insulinlike growth factor 1 (IGF‐1) and, when available, feline growth hormone (fGH). In patients with markedly increased IGF‐1 concentrations intracranial computed tomography (CT) was offered, and in selected cats additional imaging was performed. Results : IGF‐1 was determined in 184 variably controlled diabetic cats; 59 cats had markedly increased IGF‐1 concentrations (.1,000 ng/mL; reference interval, 208–443 ng/mL). Eighteen cats subsequently were examined, and acromegaly was confirmed in 17 cats. Notable findings included absence of a detectable pituitary mass lesion in some affected cats regardless of whether CT or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used. Hypertension was not found to be a complication in the evaluated cats and respiratory stridor was more prevalent than previously reported. Conclusions and Clinical Importance : Measurement of IGF‐1, growth hormone (GH), or both is useful in the diagnosis of acromegaly in cats.