Goiter with Vascular Anomalies in a Litter of Polish Lowland Sheepdogs

Abstract

At approximately 4–5 mo of age, three Polish Lowland sheepdog puppies from a single litter of eight puppies presented to their respective primary veterinarians with bilateral subcutaneous masses in their ventral cervical regions. Evaluation, including thyroid function testing, surgical exploration with resection, computed tomography, and angiography, identified the masses as enlarged thyroid glands with severely dilated and abnormal vasculature in the regions of the glands. The dogs were also found to have serum concentrations of thyroid hormones that were below the reference ranges. None of the three dogs showed clinical signs of hypothyroidism, except for the presence of goiter. One dog also had a patent ductus arteriosus that was surgically repaired. All dogs were clinically normal at 2 yr of age. This is the first report of major vascular anomalies associated with goiter in any species. The mechanism is unknown.

Pathological characteristics of thyroid glands from Japanese Black Cattle living in the restricted area of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

“…The pathogenesis of goiter includes an iodine‐deficient diet, goitrogenic compounds that interfere with thyroid hormone synthesis, dietary iodide excess, and genetic enzyme defects in the biosynthesis of thyroid hormones (Ong, Herdt, & Fitzgerald, ). Goiters tend to occur in young or newborn animals (Doige & McLaughlin, ; Kuczynski et al, ; Seimiya et al, ; Wither, ). Gland enlargement results from a simple hyperplasia of follicular cells.…”

“…The pathogenesis of goiter includes an iodine-deficient diet, goitrogenic compounds that interfere with thyroid hormone synthesis, dietary iodide excess, and genetic enzyme defects in the biosynthesis of thyroid hormones (Ong, Herdt, & Fitzgerald, 2014). Goiters tend to occur in young or newborn animals (Doige & McLaughlin, 1981;Kuczynski et al, 2012;Seimiya et al, 1991;Wither, 1997 Although hypothyroidism is clinically important in dogs, it is encountered only occasionally in other animals (Adissu, Hamel-Jolette, & Foster, 2010;La Perle, 2012;Rosol & Grone, 2016). It usually involves primary lesions, typically idiopathic follicular collapse and lymphocytic thyroiditis (Gosselin, Capen, & Martin, 1981).…”