Short-term Outcome After Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy for Resection of Adrenal Masses in 20 Dogs and 3 Cats

This case series describes the short-term outcome in twenty dogs and three cats that underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) for management of adrenal masses.

Dogs weighed a median of 14.4kg (range 6.8-43.6kg). Cats weighed a median of 6.2kg (range 4.7-7.3kg). Ultrasound was used for pre-operative imaging in all cases. Computed tomography scans were used in 17 dogs and 2 cats. Thirteen dogs had left-sided lesions and 7 were right-sided. Two cats had left-sided lesions and one was right-sided. Nine dogs were suspected to have adrenal- dependent hyperadrenocorticism and two had diabetes mellitus. The remaining dogs were either suspected to have non-functional masses or pheochromocytomas. Two cats had aldosterone-secreting masses and one was progesterone-secreting. In four dogs and one cat a 4-port technique was used whereas in 16 dogs and 2 cats a 3-port technique was used. In one cat conversion to an open approach was necessary due to extreme friability of the abdominal wall causing chronic leakage of insufflated C02. No other cases required conversion to an open technique and no other major complications occurred.

Histopathology confirmed adrenocortical carcinomas in 9 dogs, adenomas in 6 dogs, phaeochromocytoma in four dogs and an embryonal duct remnant in one dog. Two cats had adrenocortical carcinoma and one had an adenoma. All patients were discharged from the hospital and all survived to at least one month post-operatively.

LA is a viable option for resection of selected adrenal masses in dogs and cats and can be associated with low perioperative morbidity and mortality.