Am. Grooters et al., ULTRASONOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ADRENAL-GLANDS IN DOGS WITH PITUITARY-DEPENDENT HYPERADRENOCORTICISM - COMPARISON WITH NORMAL DOGS, Journal of veterinary internal medicine, 10(3), 1996, pp. 110-115
Ultrasonographic evaluation of the adrenal glands was performed in 10
dogs with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism (PDH) and in 10 age
- and weight-matched healthy control dogs. Thickness, shape, and echog
enicity were determined for each adrenal gland. Adrenal thickness in d
ogs with PDH (median, 10 mm-left; 8.5 mm-right) was significantly grea
ter than thickness in control dogs (median, 6 mm-left; 6 mm-right). Ot
her ultrasonographic characteristics associated with PDH included bila
terally symmetrical adrenomegaly and maintenance of normal adrenal sha
pe. Adrenal echogenicity was homogeneous and less than that of the adj
acent renal cortex in 8 of 10 dogs with PDH and in 10 of 10 control do
gs, Heterogenous echogenicity was present in 2 of 10 dogs with PDH, an
d was associated with nodular cortical hyperplasia in one of those dog
s. Results of this study confirm the difference in sonographic appeara
nce between PDH-induced bilateral cortical hyperplasia and functional
adrenocortical neoplasia, and show a difference in sonographically det
ermined adrenal size between healthy dogs and dogs with PDH. J Vet Int
ern Med 1996;10:110-115. Copyright (C) 1996 by the American College of
Veterinary Internal Medicine.