From:
Bruce Williams, DVM
Date: 2001-09-27 05:17:00 UTC
Subject: Re: leiomyosarcoma - reposting question
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., Ruesterx1@h... wrote:
> I just had a ferret operated on that had typical adrenal symptoms.
> The vet
> removed what she thought was a large right adrenal tumor. The path
> report
> came back as a Leiomyosarcoma. After looking that up and realizing
> that it
> is a Smooth Muscle Tumor (hope I got that right), I realized that
> another
> vet I went to mentioned that he has had two cases of the same thing
> recently.
>
> My questions are: What does this mean for the ferret as far as the
> adrenal
> symptoms? Is this what was causing the problem or should I still
> expect the
> ferret to have adrenal troubles? What is the long term prognosis of
> such a
> tumor? Also, should I be worried that the two vets I use have
> mistaken
> these Smooth Muscle Tumors for Adrenal tumors? I realize they are
> tumors
> that needed to come out, just wondering if it should have been
> obvious that
> this wasn't an adrenal?
>
Dear Julie - you are correct in that leiomyosarcomas are malignancies
of smooth muscle. These are occasionally seen in the endocrine,
gastrointestinal, and reproductive organs, and the adrenal gland is
probably the most common site overall.
These tumors are not responsible for the adrenal igns which you
noticed, but they may occur coincidentally with a functional
adrenocortical tumor. And, due to their often fiarly large size,
they may often be the only tumor seen when the adrenal is sectioned,
althouh there may be another tumor in their causing the signs. Or,
as occasionally happens, the vet's attention is drawn to these large,
non-functional tumors, and they may miss the functional adrenal tumor
on the other adrenal.
The good news is that these neoplasms, although they are technically
malignant, really do not metastasize or result in life-threatening
illness. Surgical excision should be considered curative.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM