To Lindy Garner:
>Does this mean the right adrenal gland probably has a tumor???  Her left
>is gone (so the vet says)...
 
Well, it certainly looks like it, unfortunately.  About 15 percent of
adrenal lesions are bilateral - meaning affecting both adrenals.  You can
try the adrenal panel at the Univ.  of Tennessee (see the medical FAQ for
phone number, etc.) before you subject her to another surgery.  This will
tell you if there is elevated levels of estrogens or pre-estrogens which are
causing her problems, and whether another surgery is needed.  Although it is
a bit on the pricey side ($75 to your veterinarian), it will make sure that
Idgie doesn't go through an unneccessary surgery (very important when we
only have one adrenal to start with.) However, whereas we used to never
remove the second adrenal, the last two years have seen improvement in
surgical techniques to remove part of the remaining adrenal, and, if needed,
a replacement protocol for steroids should the entire remaining adrenal need
to be removed.
 
Bruce Williams, DVM, DACVP              Chief Pathologist, AccuPath
Dept. of Veterinary Pathology               [log in to unmask]
Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 1476]