Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Canadian Veterinary Journal logoLink to The Canadian Veterinary Journal
. 1984 Jan;25(1):21–25.

Pheochromocytoma in the Horse and Measurement of Norepinephrine Levels in Horses

J V Yovich, F D Horney, G E Hardee
PMCID: PMC1790512  PMID: 17422350

Abstract

Ten cases of pheochromocytoma in horses were obtained from the literature and a computer search of medical records. The clinical, laboratory and pathological features of pheochromocytoma in horses were reviewed. Pheochromocytoma is a catecholamine secreting tumor which tends to occur in older horses without breed or sex predisposition. It is usually unilateral adrenal medullary in location and benign. Malignancy was present in one horse. The most common clinical signs were sweating, tachycardia, tachypnea, muscle tremor and anxiety; however the tumor may be asymptomatic. Clinical signs were nonspecific and could be confused with other diseases, especially abdominal pain. Hyperglycemia is a consistent finding. Venous norepinephrine levels were measured in normal horses. Norepinephrine measurements may prove to be a diagnostic aid in horses with pheochromocytoma.

Full text

PDF
21

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. ANDERSON W. A., DAVIS C. L., MONLUX A. W. A survey of tumors occurring in cattle, sheep, and swine. Am J Vet Res. 1956 Oct;17(65):646–677. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Anderson M. G., Aitken M. M. Biochemical and physiological effects of catecholamine administration in the horse. Res Vet Sci. 1977 May;22(3):357–360. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Clinico-pathologic conference. From the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1971 Jul 15;159(2):209–219. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Evans C. L. Physiological mechanisms that underlie sweating in the horse. Br Vet J. 1966 Mar;122(3):117–123. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Froscher B. G., Power H. T. Malignant pheochromocytoma in a foal. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1982 Sep 1;181(5):494–496. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Gelberg H., Cockerell G. L., Minor R. R. A light and electron microscopic study of a normal adrenal medulla and a pheochromocytoma from a horse. Vet Pathol. 1979 Jul;16(4):395–404. doi: 10.1177/030098587901600401. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. HOWARD E. B., NIELSEN S. W. PHEOCHROMOCYTOMAS ASSOCIATED WITH HYPERTENSIVE LESIONS IN DOGS. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1965 Aug 1;147:245–252. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hardee G. E., Wang Lai J., Semrad S. D., Trim C. M. Catecholamines in equine and bovine plasmas. J Vet Pharmacol Ther. 1982 Dec;5(4):279–284. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2885.1982.tb00443.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. KLINE I. K. Myocardial alterations associated with pheochromocytomas. Am J Pathol. 1961 May;38:539–551. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Krstulović A. M., Dziedzic S. W., Bertani-Dziedzic L., DiRico D. E. Plasma catecholamines in hypertension and pheochromocytoma determined using ion-pair reversed-phase chromatography with amperometric detection: investigation of the separation mechanism and clinical methodology. J Chromatogr. 1981 Nov 6;217:523–537. doi: 10.1016/s0021-9673(00)88103-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Snow D. H. Identification of the receptor involved in adrenaline mediated sweating in the horse. Res Vet Sci. 1977 Sep;23(2):246–247. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Snow D. H. Metabolic and physiological effects of adrenoceptor agonists and antagonists in the horse. Res Vet Sci. 1979 Nov;27(3):372–378. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. West J. L. Bovine pheochromocytoma: case report and review of literature. Am J Vet Res. 1975 Sep;36(9):1371–1373. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Wilkie B. N., Krook L. Ultimobranchial tumor of the thyroid and pheochromocytoma in the bull. Pathol Vet. 1970;7(2):126–134. doi: 10.1177/030098587000700204. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Yovich J. V., Ducharme N. G. Ruptured pheochromocytoma in a mare with colic. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1983 Aug 15;183(4):462–464. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Canadian Veterinary Journal are provided here courtesy of Canadian Veterinary Medical Association

RESOURCES