What tumors occur in the adrenal medulla?
Tumors of the medulla of the adrenal glands may be hyperplasia (non-cancerous cell overgrowths) or cancerous. Adrenal medullary tumors are rare but pheochromocytomas are the most common type and usually occur in middle aged to older dogs. Tumors of the nerve cells of the medulla are rare but benign adrenal ganglioneuromas occur in older animals and malignant adrenal neuroblastomas can develop in young animals. Few are diagnosed until late in the course of the disease because, unlike tumors of the adrenal cortex, medullary tumors do not produce clinical signs. Approximately half spread to other parts of the body (metastasize). What do we know about the cause? The reason why a particular pet may develop this, or any cancer, is not straightforward. Cancer is often the culmination of a series of circumstances that come together for the unfortunate individual. Little is known about the cause of tumors of the adrenal medulla. Why has my pet developed this cancer? Some animals have a greater
