Ortega-Pacheco A, Avalos-Borges EE

Language: Spanish
References: 8
Page: 33-38
PDF size: 64.08 Kb.

ABSTRACT

Introduction. Testicular tumors are rarely found in domestic species, however they can occur quite often in dogs. Two of the main risk factors associated with tesicular tumors are age and cryptorchidism. Their ocurrence can be 13.6 times greater when testes in dogs are retained in the abdominal cavity. Sertoli cell tumors (SCT) in dogs are normally seen between 8 and 11 years old with a mean of 9.7 years. The most typical signs of SCT are: feminization, loss of libido, gynecomatia, alopecia and atrophy of the nonaffected testicle ; this is probably due to the hormone-secretory activity of the tumor particularly the secretion of estrogens.
Clinical case. Diagnostic methodology and clinical findings in a case of SCT in a 8 year old German Shepperd dog are described. Gynecomastia, alopecia and squamous metaplasia of the prostata were observed. Blood estradiol concentration was high and levels of T3 and T4 were normal. Ultrasonography showed well defined ecogenic and non ecogenic zones in the tumor and prostata. A leucocitosis due to neutrofilia with left desviation was also found. The histophatological examination of the tumor confirm the presence of a SCT.
Discussion. The estrogenic activity of SCT was the main reason of the clinical findings observed in the patient since high circulating levels of estrogen can affect growth capacity and structure of hair follicles; it also produces squamous metaplasia of prostatic epithelium and low resistance to infectious processes; this is why this patient‘s prostata increased in size and presents an active infectious process. Ultrasonography showed the multilobulated structure of the tumor and the presence of cavities in the tumor and prostata.

REFERENCES

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