Study links canine hypercortisolism to stiffer adrenal glands

Dogs with hypercortisolism had stiffer adrenal glands on elastography than healthy controls in a small new study from researchers at the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, adding early evidence that elastography could complement standard adrenal ultrasound in suspected canine Cushing’s cases. The work, published in Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound and detailed in the authors’ 2025 dissertation, compared 15 dogs with hypercortisolism and 15 healthy dogs. The hypercortisolism group had diagnosis confirmed by low-dose dexamethasone suppression testing in 11 dogs and ACTH stimulation testing in four, and showed significantly larger adrenal measurements, especially in the left gland, along with qualitatively different stiffness patterns and semiquantitatively higher stiffness than adjacent mesentery. (rima.ufrrj.br)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the study points to a potentially useful add-on imaging tool rather than a replacement for endocrine testing or conventional ultrasound. Current guidance still centers diagnosis on screening and confirmatory hormonal testing, with abdominal ultrasound helping characterize adrenal size, symmetry, and possible tumor involvement; AAHA notes, for example, that ACTH stimulation can miss some adrenal-dependent cases. In that context, elastography may eventually help clinicians better characterize adrenal change when routine sonography is equivocal, but this was a 30-dog study and the findings need broader validation before changing workups in practice. (aaha.org)

What to watch: The next step is whether larger prospective studies can show that adrenal elastography improves differentiation, repeatability, or treatment monitoring beyond standard ultrasound and endocrine testing. (rima.ufrrj.br)