Clinical findings, treatment and outcomes in cats with spontaneous hypoadrenocorticism: 41 cases

Emma Roberts, Ian Ramsey, Ruth Gostelow, Anna Latysheva, Luca Battaglia, Paolo Silvestrini,, Ghita Benchekroun, Karen Brenner, Bérénice Conversy, Ricardo Ferriani, André Kortum, Lisa Stammeleer, Nele Vanden Steen, Flavia Tavares, Julia Lieser, Angie Hibbert, Antoine Duclas, Troy A. Bunn, Alisdair Boag, Carolina ArenasKirsty Roe, Florian Zuegswetter, Yi Cui, Imogen Schofield, Federico Fracassi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

Background
Feline hypoadrenocorticism is sparsely reported and nearly all reports comprise of cats with hyponatremia and/or hyperkalemia.
Hypothesis/Objectives
To describe the clinical findings, treatment response and outcome in a population of cats diagnosed with hypoadrenocorticism, including cats with and without hyponatremia and/or hyperkalemia.
Animals
Forty-one cats with hypoadrenocorticism; 36 with and 5 without hyponatremia and/or hyperkalemia.
Methods
Multi-center retrospective observational study. Data for the whole cohort was assessed using descriptive statistics and differences between cats with and without hyponatremia and/or hyperkalemia evaluated.
Results
Median age was 5.7 years (range, 0.2 to 13.8). Twenty-three (56%) cats were male and 18 (44%) were female. Cats with hyponatremia and/or hyperkalemia, were less likely to have a history of vomiting (p=0.006) but more likely to be hypothermic (p=0.034), dehydrated (p=0.043) and/or weak (p=0.043) on examination, compared to cats without hyponatremia and/or hyperkalemia. Prevalence of hypercalcemia was 31.7%. Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) was diagnosed in 4/7 cases where tested; all four cats had concurrent cobalamin deficiency. Thirty-five (85.4%) cats survived to discharge. In two cats, hypoadrenocorticism occurred secondary to lymphoma. Median survival time (MST) for all-cause mortality was 2035 days (95% CI 294 – 4380 days); MST for disease-specific mortality wasn’t reached.
Conclusions and clinical importance
One-third of cats with hypoadrenocorticism had hypercalcemia. In some cases, a form without hyponatremia and/or hyperkalemia can be observed. Cats with non-neoplastic associated hypoadrenocorticism that survive initial hospitalization can have a favourable long-term prognosis. Testing for EPI may be warranted in cats diagnosed with hypoadrenocorticism

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere17243
Pages (from-to)1-12
Number of pages12
JournalJournal of Veterinary Internal Medicine
Volume39
Issue number1
Early online date11 Dec 2024
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 11 Dec 2024

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