131 I treatment in dogs with hyperthyroidism caused by a non‐resectable ectopic thyroid tumour : 5 cases (2008‐2019)

Objectives This study aimed to describe the clinical and diagnostic characteristics, as well as outcomes of radioiodine treatment in dogs with hyperthyroidism caused by a non-resectable ectopic thyroid tumour. Materials and Methods This retrospective study reviewed the medical records between 2008 and 2018 of dogs diagnosed with hyperthyroidism secondary to a non-resectable ectopic thyroid tumour and treated with radioiodine. Results Five dogs were included in the study. Three dogs had sublingual ectopic tumours, of which one also had a unilateral cervical thyroid tumour. The remaining two dogs were diagnosed with an ectopic thyroid tumour at the level of the caudal pharynx and the heart base, respectively. All cases were treated with radioiodine. The size of the ectopic masses decreased after radioiodine treatment. Total thyroxine concentrations returned to reference ranges in all dogs. Further, clinical signs of hyperthyroidism disappeared after treatment in all patients. One dog developed myelosuppression secondary to radioiodine treatment. The dog with metastasis had a very short survival compared to the four dogs without metastasis (3 months compared to 7, 36, 50 and 24 months, respectively) and succumbed most likely to thyroid-related problems. In the remaining four dogs, their quality of life improved. They died due to diseases unrelated to the ectopic thyroid tumour. Clinical Significance Radioiodine therapy should be considered as a treatment option in dogs diagnosed with hyperthyroidism due to a non-resectable ectopic thyroid tumour

Association of recessive c.430G>A (p.(Gly144Arg)) thyroid peroxidase variant with primary congenital hypothyroidism in cats

BACKGROUND: Primary congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is a rare endocrine disorder in cats with a largely unknown genetic cause. OBJECTIVES: Describe the clinical presentation of CH in 11 affected cats and identify the causal genetic variant. ANIMALS: Eleven CH‐cats from 10 unrelated families, 11 CH‐free family members, 21 unrelated CH‐free cats, and 155 unrelated nondiagnosed cats from different breeds. METHODS: Case control study of CH‐cats and their siblings (2019‐2021). Diagnosis was based on low to low‐normal serum thyroxine (T4) concentrations, high thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH) concentrations and clinical signs compatible with CH. We identified the causal variant using Sanger sequencing, genotyping via PCR‐RFLP and variant interpretation using ACMG/AMP guidelines. RESULTS: All CH‐cats (5 weeks‐8 years) had disproportionate dwarfism. A goiter was not palpable in all. Thyroid scintigraphy with radiopertechnetate showed abnormally high uptake by thyroid glands, whereas scintigraphy with radioiodine showed abnormally low uptake, compatible with a defect in iodine organification by thyroid peroxidase (TPO). All cases were homozygous for TPO variant XM_006930524.4:c.430G>A(p.(Gly144Arg)), while none of the CH‐free cats were. All sampled parents were heterozygous for this recessive variant. This variant was found in 15 cat breeds with an estimated allele frequency of 9%. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Disproportionate dwarfism, abnormally high TSH and abnormally low to low‐normal T4 concentrations are diagnostic for CH in cats. All cases had dyshormonogenesis demonstrated by thyroid scintigraphy. This novel TPO missense variant (not described in humans) causes CH in cats and awareness of it can assist in diagnosis and breeding

Assessment of acute kidney injury in canine parvovirus infection : comparison of kidney injury biomarkers with routine renal functional parameters

Dogs with naturally occurring canine parvovirus (CPV) infection are at risk of developing acute kidney injury (AKI) due to several factors, including severe dehydration, hypotension and sepsis. Serum creatinine (sCr) and serum urea are insensitive markers for the assessment of early kidney injury. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate potential kidney injury in dogs with CPV infection using both routine renal functional parameters and several kidney injury biomarkers. Twenty-two dogs with CPV infection were prospectively enrolled and compared with eight clinically healthy control dogs. Urinary immunoglobulin G (uIgG) and C-reactive protein (uCRP) were measured to document glomerular injury, whereas urinary retinol-binding protein (uRBP) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL) served as markers for tubular injury. These biomarkers were compared to routine renal functional parameters, including sCr, serum urea, urinary protein:creatinine ratio (UPC) and urine specific gravity (USG). Dogs with CPV infection had significantly higher concentrations of uIgG, uCRP, uRBP and uNGAL compared to healthy dogs. In contrast, sCr was significantly lower in dogs with CPV infection compared to controls, while serum urea was not significantly different. UPC and USG were both significantly higher in CPV-infected dogs. This study demonstrated that dogs with CPV infection had evidence of AKI, which remained undetected by the routine functional markers sCr and serum urea, but was revealed by UPC, uIgG, uCRP, uRBP and uNGAL. These results emphasize the added value of novel urinary kidney injury biomarkers to detect canine patients at risk of developing AKI.Preliminary results were presented as an Oral Abstract at the 27th Congress of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine – Companion Animals, Malta, 14th–16th September 2017.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/tvjl2019-12-01hj2019Companion Animal Clinical Studie