# Successful laparotomic ethanol ablation for an adrenal tumour in a dog

## TL;DR

Ethanol ablation successfully treated an adrenal tumor in a high-risk dog, avoiding surgery and maintaining normal cortisol levels for a year.

## Contribution

Demonstrates ethanol ablation as a feasible alternative to adrenalectomy for high-risk canine patients with adrenal tumors.

## Key findings

- Ethanol ablation reduced adrenal tumor size and normalized cortisol levels in a 13-year-old dog.
- No signs of hypercortisolism were observed for 12 months post-procedure.
- Autopsy confirmed shrinkage of the ablated adrenal tumor.

## Abstract

Adrenalectomy is the gold standard for canine adrenal tumours, but not always recommended due to patient age, underlying conditions and perioperative mortality. Ethanol ablation is an alternative in human medicine for poor surgical candidates. A 13‐year‐old neutered female toy‐poodle with hypercortisolism presented with severe haematuria. Ultrasonography revealed left adrenal and right kidney tumours. Due to high surgical risk, simultaneous laparotomic right nephroureterectomy and ethanol ablation of the left adrenal tumour were performed. Post‐ethanol injection complications included transient hypertension and arrhythmia, which resolved spontaneously. The adrenal tumour size decreased within 2.5 months, and cortisol levels normalised within 8 days, remaining stable for 12 months. No hypercortisolism signs were observed without trilostane until death from renal insufficiency. Autopsy showed that the ablated left adrenal gland was an adrenocortical tumour and had shrunk. Ethanol ablation may be a feasible alternative to adrenalectomy for high‐risk canine patients.

Adrenalectomy is the gold standard for canine adrenal tumours, but it is not always feasible due to surgical risks. We successfully conducted simultaneous laparotomic right nephroureterectomy and ethanol ablation of the left adrenal tumour. The adrenal tumour size decreased, cortisol levels normalised and no signs of hypercortisolism were observed for 12 months. Ethanol ablation of adrenal tumours may be a viable alternative for high‐risk canine patients.