Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0019209 (hepatomegaly)
 5,798 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Of cases of hyperadrenocorticism in small animals 80-85% are the result of adrenocortical hyperplasia. Middle-aged or older Poodles, Dachshunds, Boston Terriers and Boxers are most commonly affected, and cats rarely. Clinical signs include polydipsia, polyuria, alopecia, abdominal distension, lethargy, weakness, hepatomegaly, calcinosis cutis, testicular atrophy and anestrus. Hematologic and biochemical changes may include neutrophilia, lymphopenia, monocytosis, eosinopenia, increased blood levels of alkaline phosphatase, SGPT, cholesterol, Na and glucose, and decreased K and T4 levels. The high-dosage dexamethasone suppression test helps differentiate pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism from that caused by adrenal tumors. The low-dosage dexamethasone suppression test, determination of plasma ACTH levels, and ACTH response test are additional diagnostic aids in the diagnosis of Cushing's disease. Medical treatment involves oral use of mitotane (o,p'-DDD) at 50 mg/kg/day for 7 days and prednisone or prednisolone at 0.05 mg/kg/day. Hypophysectomy has been used with only 5% mortality in cases of pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism. Adrenalectomy is indicated in cases of adrenal neoplasia.
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PMID:Diseases of the adrenal cortex of dogs and cats. 633 May 21

The specificity of conventional radiography in assessing canine hyperadrenocorticism was evaluated by comparing the Incidence of related radiographic findings in 24 hyperadrenocorticoid, 15 diabetic and 20 hypothyroid dogs. Hyperadrenocorticoid dogs showed significantly more perihilar bronchial mineralisation than other groups. There was no significant variation between the disease groups with respect to obesity, hepatomegaly, contour of the caudoventral hepatic margin, peripheral bronchial mineralisation or osteopenia. Adrenal mineralisation and calcinosis cutis were rare findings observed only in hyperadrenocorticoid dogs. The effect of obesity on the radiographic appearance of bone was studied using a dissected lumbar spine from a canine cadaver. An osteopenic effect could be demonstrated by superimposition of a 10 cm-thick fat block. The low specificity of almost all common signs in canine hyperadrenocorticism and the low incidence of characteristic findings demonstrate the limited potential of radiography in assessing this condition. Radiographic assessment of bone density is unreliable because of artefactual osteopenic effects of high kVp settings necessary in obese dogs.
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PMID:Osteopenia and other radiographic signs in canine hyperadrenocorticism. 1110 87

A 10-year-old, neutered female, Australian Shepherd was referred for acute respiratory distress and a history of chronic exogenous steroid administration. On thoracic radiographs, a severe increase in mineral opacity characterized as a generalized unstructured interstitial pulmonary pattern, diffuse calcinosis cutis, and moderate hepatomegaly were noted. Cor pulmonale was identified on echocardiography. The patient developed a pneumothorax following sampling and had a cardiac arrest. Postmortem histopathology of the lungs revealed pulmonary interstitial mineralization and alveolar microlithiasis. This report supports including generalized pulmonary mineralization due to chronic exogenous steroid administration as a differential diagnosis for dogs with these clinical and imaging findings.
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PMID:Radiographic characteristics of alveolar microlithiasis and pulmonary ossification following chronic corticosteroid therapy in a dog. 3131 91