Background: Pituitary tumours are common neoplasms of the sellar region in small animals. However, detailed information regarding the spectrum and severity of possible neurological signs are lacking.Objective: To retrospectively describe the neurological abnormalities in a population of dogs with a detectable pituitary mass (DPM) and relate them with the size of the mass and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signs of brain compression (BC). Client-owned dogs were included in the study if they had MRI showing a DPM and a detailed neurological examination. The neurological signs were evaluated in relation to the pituitary height/brain ratio (P:B ratio) and the presence/absence of brain compression.Results: Ninety-seven dogs were enrolled. Besides abnormal mentation and behaviour (77%), gait (61%) and cranial nerve abnormalities (44%), other unreported neurological signs observed included postural abnormalities (21%), pain and/or hyperesthesia (25%) and abnormal postural and proprioceptive reactions (49%). The majority of dogs with DPM had signs of BC. The presence of a high pituitary height/brain area and BC represented a risk factor for developing mental status abnormalities.Conclusion: Neurological signs recorded in DPM-affected dogs include not only the typical forebrain signs but also gait disturbances and hyperesthesia. Neurological signs are positively associated with increased P:B ratio and MRI signs of brain compression.

In human medicine, pituitary apoplexy (PA) is a clinical syndrome characterised by the sudden onset of neurological signs because of haemorrhage or infarction occurring within a normal or tumoral pituitary gland. The diagnosis is usually performed combining neurological signs and imaging findings. The aim of the present study is to describe the abnormal neurological signs, the diagnostic imaging findings, based on Computed Tomography (CT) and/or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and the outcome in a population of dogs with suspected PA. Clinical cases were retrospectively reviewed. Nineteen cases of suspected PA were included. The majority of dogs showed behavioural abnormalities (11/19). Neurological signs more frequently identified were obtundation (7/19), vestibular signs (7/19) and epileptic seizures (6/19). The onset of neurological signs was per-acute in 14 out of 19 cases. Data regarding CT and MRI were available in 18 and 9 cases, respectively. Neurological signs resolved in less than 24 h in seven patients. The short-term prognosis was defined as favourable in the majority of our study population. The median survival time was of 7 months from the time of PA diagnosis. This is the first description of neurological signs, imaging findings and outcome in a large group of dogs with PA.

Adrenocortical tumors in children are extremely rare, accounting only for 0.3-0.4% of all neoplasms in this age. Most frequently they secrete hormones, resulting in virilization, Cushing's syndrome or feminization, while the non-functioning ones are unusual. The authors describe 12 cases observed in 13 years (1976-1989), with a mean age of 5 years. 9 cases showed virilization, 4 presented with Cushing's syndrome and in 5 patients an abdominal mass was palpable. One case was affected by Beckwith-Wiedemann's syndrome. I.V. urography was performed in 8 patients, arteriography in 4 and since 1982 all patients were submitted to abdominal sonography and CT scan or MR imaging. Urinary 17-ketosteroids, 17-hydroxycorticoids and serum testosterone and cortisol were tested in all children. Dexamethasone suppression test was performed in 7. All patients were treated with surgery which seems to be the most suitable treatment, while the real effectiveness of treatment by drug therapy with suppressors of steroidogenesis is not confirmed in children. Histopathological examination showed typical features of adenoma in 5 cases, of adenocarcinoma in 4, while three cases revealed border line forms classified as "atypical adenomas". At the moment 10 patients are alive with a follow-up ranging from 18 months to 14 years, while 2 children with adenocarcinoma are dead.

Pituitary apoplexy (PA) is a neurological syndrome resulting from sudden infarction/haemorrhage within a normal or tumoural pituitary gland. Prompt imaging is essential to correlate haemorrhagic/ischaemic changes with clinical signs. The purpose of this report is to describe the clinical, CT and 3T MRI findings of PA in a 13-year-old dog previously diagnosed with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism. Neurological examination revealed an anxious-compulsive behaviour, internal ophthalmoplegia and bilaterally reduced menace response. Brain MRI showed a pituitary mass with two focal well-defined areas. The first was T2 weighted (T2w) and T1 weighted (T1w) hyperintense, FLAIR hypointense to the grey matter, and mildly contrast-enhancing with signal void artefact in GE-T2*, compatible with late/subacute haemorrhage; the second was T2w hypointense, T1w, FLAIR and GE-T2* isointense/hypointense to the grey matter and moderately enhancing, compatible with acute haemorrhage. The dog recovered after 24 hours, but internal ophthalmoplegia remained. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report describing MRI findings in a dog with PA.

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