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Ce cas illustre le diagnostic d’une maladie d’Addison chez un chat femelle stérilisée Scottish fold de 4,5 ans présentant un historique de dysorexie, d’abattement et d’amaigrissement évoluant depuis un mois dans un contexte d’azotémie et de diminution du rapport Na/K persistantes. L’hypocorticisme primaire est confirmé par une valeur d’ACTH (hormone adrénocorticotrope) endogène augmentée ainsi qu’un test de stimulation à l’ACTH documentant un hypocortisolisme et un hypoaldostéronisme. La prise en charge thérapeutique constituée d’une supplémentation en prednisolone et en DOCP (pivalate de désoxycortone) permet une amélioration des signes cliniques et des anomalies biologiques en moins de 5 jours. Ce cas illustre le défi diagnostique de l’hypocorticisme, très rarement rencontré chez le chat et mimant parfois des maladies beaucoup plus fréquentes dans cette espèce. Enfin, ce cas montre que le DOCP peut être utilisé avec succès en tant que supplémentation en minéralocorticoïdes lors de maladie d’Addison chez le chat.

Un chat British Shorthair mâle castré de 7 ans est présenté pour abattement, dysorexie, PUPD et ventroflexion évoluant de manière fluctuante depuis environ une semaine, sans antécédents médicaux notables. Les examens cliniques et hématobiochimiques d’admission mettent en évidence une hypokaliémie et une densité urinaire diminuée en l’absence d’azotémie, pour un chat par ailleurs normotensif. Les examens d’imagerie (échographie et tomodensitométrie abdominale) font état d’une masse surrénalienne droite sans envahissement locorégional ni atteinte visible d’autres organes. Un dosage d’aldostérone très supérieur aux normes de l’intervalle de référence permet d’établir le diagnostic d’hyperaldostéronisme primaire. Une surrénalectomie droite est réalisée par laparotomie, associée à une lobectomie hépatique partielle au vu de l’adhérence macroscopique notée en chirurgie. L’examen histologique est en faveur d’un corticosurrénalome (ou carcinome surrénalien) métastasé au foie. Le chat présente un très bon état général sans traitement jusqu’à dix-sept mois après la prise en charge chirurgicale, où une récidive clinique et locorégionale du corticosurrénalome est notée. Il est alors décidé d’un traitement médical à base de spironolactone et d’inhibiteur de la tyrosine kinase. Le chat décède trente mois après la surrénalectomie d’une insuffisance cardiaque congestive dans un contexte de cardiomyopathie hypertrophique secondaire à l’hypertension artérielle systémique chronique.

Limited information is available concerning treatment of ionized hypercalcemia in cats.Describe clinical findings in a cohort of cats with persistent ionized hypercalcemia and evaluate long-term tolerance and efficacy of alendronate in these patients.Twenty cats with persistent ionized hypercalcemia of undetermined origin, presented for routine or referral consultation at the teaching hospital of Maisons-Alfort (France).Medical records were retrospectively reviewed. Cats were divided into Group 1 (cats that received alendronate as well as other treatments, n = 11) and Group 2 (cats that did not receive alendronate, n = 9). Survival analysis (Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test, and Cox proportional hazard models) was conducted to compare time to selected outcomes.Azotemia was present in 15 cats (75%). Alendronate treatment was administered and well tolerated during the entire follow-up period (median, 9.5 months; interquartile range [IQR], 6.3; 27) in all cats from Group 1, except in 1 cat that developed severe hypophosphatemia, prompting treatment discontinuation. Univariate analysis determined that alendronate treatment was significantly associated with shorter time to reach a 15% decrease in ionized calcium concentration (iCa) from baseline during follow-up (119 days vs median not reached, P = .02). This association was no longer significant after adjustment for age and initial iCa.Alendronate overall was well tolerated with chronic use in this cohort, and can be considered a treatment option for persistent ionized hypercalcemia in cats.

CASE DESCRIPTION A 10-month-old male crossbred dog presented with a 4-week history of polyuria and polydipsia and a 6-month history of vomiting. CLINICAL FINDINGS Clinical examination revealed abdominal pain and right-sided nephromegaly. Biochemistry was within normal limits. Diagnostic imaging showed a well-defined, unilateral renal mass containing anechoic fluid consistent with a simple renal cyst (SRC). TREATMENT AND OUTCOME The cyst was drained under ultrasonographic guidance but recurred 3 months later, concomitant with recurrence of the previously reported clinical signs. The cyst was then deroofed, fulgurated, and omentalized under laparoscopy by use of a 3-port technique. The resected cystic wall was histopathologically consistent with an SRC, presumptively congenital. The dog showed a good recovery with resolution of clinical signs. Renal function was normal at last follow-up, conducted 2 years postoperatively, without evidence of recurrent disease. CLINICAL RELEVANCE To our knowledge, this was the first report of a symptomatic juvenile SRC of presumptively congenital origin in a dog treated successfully by laparoscopic deroofing, fulguration, and omentalization. The polyuria, polydipsia, chronic vomiting, and abdominal pain may all have been related to space-occupying effects of the cyst, as these symptoms resolved post-treatment. Results of long-term follow-up advocate for this durable cure of SRC by use of laparoscopic procedures, especially when compared to simple drainage of the cyst, as the latter initially failed in the present case.

In recent decades, interest in circulating tumour biomarkers is increasing both in human and veterinary oncology. An ideal tumour biomarker would allow early diagnosis of neoplasia, identify it specifically, accurately, establish a prognosis and predict its behaviour, especially regarding different therapeutic solutions. It would also allow to monitor its evolution over time and all this in a non-invasive and inexpensive way. Actually, no biomarkers meeting all of these criteria have been identified in veterinary medicine, particularly due to a lack of specificity of the main protein tumour biomarkers studied to date. However, great hope is currently placed in biomarkers grouped under the name of liquid biopsy, which could prove to be effective tools for common clinical use in the near future. This review gives an update on blood cancer biomarkers studied in dogs, such as ions, proteins, nucleic acids and also circulating cells, of which some might become more prominent in the coming years to help improve the management of animal care.

Case summary A 5-year-old castrated male domestic shorthair cat presented with a 3-month history of weight loss, chronic diarrhoea and vomiting. Examination revealed a large proximal duodenal lesion eventually diagnosed as feline gastrointestinal eosinophilic sclerosing fibroplasia (FGESF) associated with fungal filaments. Histological examination was performed following endoscopic biopsy. Direct examination and mycological culture of the duodenal biopsies revealed the presence of a siphomycetous fungus, which was further identified as Rhizopus microsporus. Treatment with prednisolone and ciclosporin for 3 months led to complete resolution of the clinical signs and marked improvement of the endoscopic lesions. Specific fungal treatment with amphotericin B was poorly tolerated. Relevance and novel information To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the characterisation of a siphomycetous fungus associated with FGESF lesions, and the first endoscopic description and diagnosis of FGESF without surgical biopsies. We hypothesise that the presence of R microsporus occurred because of disrupted mucosal integrity.