Metastatic tumors to the adrenal glands in domestic animals.
Authors: Labelle P, De Cock H E V
Journal: Veterinary pathology
Summary
# Editorial Summary Adrenal gland metastases represent a frequently overlooked complication of disseminated cancer in domestic animals, occurring in approximately 21% of canine, 15% of feline, 27% of equine, and 31% of bovine cases with metastatic disease. This retrospective study examined necropsy records across multiple species to identify which primary tumour types colonise the adrenals and at what frequency, revealing that in dogs, pulmonary, mammary, prostatic, gastric, and pancreatic carcinomas along with melanoma show the highest propensity for adrenal involvement, whilst equine cases predominantly involved hemangiosarcoma and melanoma. Most metastatic adrenal lesions appeared during advanced disease stages, though importantly, one case documented secondary Addison's disease developing from lymphoid infiltration, suggesting that adrenal insufficiency should be considered as a paraneoplastic complication in cancer patients with compatible clinical signs. For equine, feline, and bovine practitioners particularly, the findings highlight that thorough examination of the adrenal glands during diagnostic investigations and post-mortem assessment is essential when disseminated neoplasia is suspected, as metastatic involvement may represent a substantial proportion of adrenal pathology in these species. This work establishes a baseline for understanding adrenal metastatic disease in veterinary medicine—an area substantially less characterised than in human oncology—and may prompt earlier consideration of adrenal dysfunction in multi-system presentations of malignancy.
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Practical Takeaways
- •When investigating disseminated neoplasia in horses with hemangiosarcoma or melanoma, adrenal involvement should be considered as part of metastatic staging
- •Adrenal glands warrant thorough examination during clinical work-up and necropsy when metastatic cancer is suspected, as adrenal involvement may indicate advanced disease
- •Clinicians should be aware that secondary endocrine dysfunction (hypoadrenocorticism) can develop when adrenal metastases destroy functional tissue
Key Findings
- •Adrenal metastases occurred in 26.9% of horses with metastatic cancer, with hemangiosarcoma and melanoma showing highest involvement rates
- •Metastatic lesions represented 26.3% of equine adrenal neoplasms in this retrospective case series
- •Adrenal metastases typically occurred in late-stage disease across all species
- •One case of secondary Addison's disease (hypoadrenocorticism) was documented in a dog with lymphoma metastases to adrenals