Vet Pathol Email Content Delivery
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (1)
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Labelle, P.
Right arrow Articles by De Cock, H. E. V.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Labelle, P.
Right arrow Articles by De Cock, H. E. V.
Vet Pathol 42:52-58 (2005)
© 2005 American College of Veterinary Pathologists

Metastatic Tumors to the Adrenal Glands in Domestic Animals

P. Labelle and H. E. V. De Cock

Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA

Although metastases to the adrenals are common in humans, they have not been thoroughly studied in animals. The purpose of this retrospective study was to document the types of malignant tumors that metastasize to canine, feline, equine, and bovine adrenals, and the rate at which they do so. The average rate of adrenal involvement in metastatic cancer was 112/534 (21.0%) in dogs, 12/81 (14.8%) in cats, 18/67 (26.9%) in horses, and 5/16 (31.3%) in cattle. In dogs, 26 different tumor types metastasized to the adrenals. Pulmonary, mammary, prostatic, gastric, and pancreatic carcinomas, and melanoma had the highest rates of metastasis to the adrenal glands in dogs. Hemangiosarcoma and melanoma had high rates of adrenal involvement in horses. In cats and cattle, relevant data were only available for lymphoma. Adrenal metastases usually occurred in the late stages of the disease. One dog had developed Addison's disease (hypoadrenocorticism) secondary to lymphoma. Metastatic lesions represented 126/472 (26.7%) of canine, 12/20 (60.0%) of feline, 21/80 (26.3%) of equine, and 5/9 (55.5%) of bovine adrenal neoplasms. This study shows that adrenal glands should be thoroughly examined during both clinical work-up and postmortems when disseminated neoplasia is suspected.

Key words: Adrenal glands; cats; cattle; dogs; endocrine diseases; horses; neoplasm metastasis; neoplasms.

Request reprints from Dr. P. Labelle, Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 (USA). E-mail: plabelle{at}vmth.ucdavis.edu






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2005 by the American College of Veterinary Pathologists.