Treatment of Fibroadenomatous Hyperplasia in Cats with Aglépristone

Abstract

Fibroadenomatous hyperplasia (FAH) is characterized by a rapid proliferation of mammary stroma and duct epithelium of 1 or more glands and predominantly affects younger female cats. Endogenous progesterone and exogenous progestogens play an important role in the genesis of FAH. The presence of progesterone receptors in fibroadenomatous tissue allows for targeted endocrine therapy with progesterone receptor blockers. We report on 22 young cats with FAH, none of which had responded to the withdrawal of progestogens or ovariectomy. The common signs were tachycardia (11 cats); skin ulceration, painful mammary glands, or both (16 cats); lethargy (8 cats); and anorexia (4 cats). The cats were treated with subcutaneous injections of the progesterone receptor blocker aglépristone on 1 (7 cats, 20 mg/kg) or 2 consecutive days (15 cats, 10 mg/kg/d) once weekly. All but 1 cat responded with a complete and lasting remission of signs after 1-4 weeks of treatment. Two cats had a short-term skin irritation at the site of the aglépristone injection. Two pregnant cats with FAH aborted after treatment with aglépristone and subsequently developed endometritis. In conclusion, the results of this study demonstrate that FAH in cats can be treated successfully with the progesterone receptor blocker aglépristone.

Treatment of growth hormone excess in dogs with the progesterone receptor antagonist aglépristone

“…Blood samples for determination of the plasma concentrations of GH and IGF-I were collected before MPA treatment, at days À9, À8, À7, À5, À3, À2, À1, and 0 (=immediately before aglépristone treatment and after MPA treatment for over 1 year), at days 1, 3,5,7,8,11,13,15,18,20,22, and 25 (=during aglépristone treatment), and at days 46 and 60 (=3.5 and 5.5 weeks after the last aglépristone treatment). On days of treatment (MPA or aglépristone), blood samples were collected prior to the drug administration.…”

“…Aglépristone is the first progesterone receptor blocker licensed for veterinary use and has been used efficiently to terminate pregnancy [16,17] and to induce parturition [18]. Furthermore, it is successfully used for the treatment of fibroadenomatous mammary hyperplasia in cats [19][20][21] and may be a useful adjunct in the medical treatment of endometritis and pyometra in the dog [22].…”

Feline Mammary Fibroepithelial Hyperplasia: A Clinical Approach

“…Infrequently, descriptions of FEH in spayed queens or male cats supposedly not submitted to steroid treatment have been published [11,23], but the doubt remained on the absence of an involuntary hormonal treatment.…”

“…Whatever the dimensions of the mammary glands, when FEH develops in pregnant females, no milk is produced in the diseased glands [23]. Consequently, after parturition, kittens are unable to nurse satisfactorily and usually the owners refer to litter vocalisation, restless and fading, with offspring death over a short-time period in postpartum.…”

“…In most animals diagnosed with FEH, the extent of the swelling of the mammary glands and the possibility of necrosis and infection warrant treatment, though this is generally considered as a benign disturbance [23]. Even so, seldom sporadic recovery is observed [6], and when described it usually take several weeks to months.…”