Hypersomatotropism in Three Cats Without Concurrent Diabetes Mellitus

June 2016 in “ Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine ”

Jon M. Fletcher, Christopher Scudder, Matti Kiupel, Hannah N. Pipe‐Martin, Patrick Kenny, Panagiotis Mantis, Joe Fenn, Ken Smith, Robert V. Blair, Luke Granger, Stijn Niessen

hypersomatotropism growth hormone pituitary adenomas insulin-like growth factor 1 IGF-1 acromegaly

TLDR Cats can have hypersomatotropism without diabetes, suggesting current diagnosis methods may miss cases.

The document described three cases of hypersomatotropism in cats without concurrent diabetes mellitus, highlighting that this condition could occur in non-diabetic cats and might be underdiagnosed. All cases involved pituitary enlargement and increased IGF-1 concentrations, supporting the diagnosis. The study suggested that the current IGF-1 cutoff value might be too high, potentially leading to underdiagnosis. It emphasized the need for increased awareness and screening for hypersomatotropism in cats, regardless of their diabetic status, to allow for earlier detection and intervention, potentially preventing or delaying acromegaly and diabetes mellitus.