The Influence of Pituitary Size on Outcome After Transsphenoidal Hypophysectomy in a Large Cohort of Dogs with Pituitary-Dependent Hypercortisolism

Background: Transsphenoidal hypophysectomy is one of the treatment strategies in the comprehensive management of dogs with pituitary-dependent hypercortisolism (PDH).

Objectives: To describe the influence of pituitary size at time of pituitary gland surgery on long-term outcome.

Animals: Three-hundred-and-six dogs with PDH.

Methods: Survival and disease-free fractions were analyzed and related to pituitary size; dogs with and without recurrence were compared.

Results: Four weeks after surgery, 91% of dogs were alive and remission was confirmed in 92% of these dogs. The median survival time was 781 days, median disease-free interval was 951 days. Over time, 27% of dogs developed recurrence of hypercortisolism after a median period of 555 days. Dogs with recurrence had significantly higher pituitary height/brain area (P/B) ratio and pre-operative basal urinary corticoid-to-creatinine ratio (UCCR) than dogs without recurrence. Survival time and disease-free interval of dogs with enlarged pituitary glands was significantly shorter than that of dogs with a non-enlarged pituitary gland. Pituitary size at the time of surgery significantly increased over the 20-year period. Although larger tumors have a less favorable prognosis, outcome in larger tumors improved over time.

Conclusions and clinical importance: Transsphenoidal hypophysectomy is an effective treatment for PDH in dogs, with an acceptable long-term outcome. Survival time and disease-free fractions are correlated negatively with pituitary gland size, making the P/B ratio an important pre-operative prognosticator. However, with increasing experience, and for large tumors, pituitary gland surgery remains an option to control the pituitary mass and hypercortisolism.