Introduction

• Cause: pyloric adenocarcinoma can be a spontaneous neoplasia in ferrets or may be secondary to Helicobacter mustelae chronic gastritis. Pancreatic, intestinal and hepatic carcinoma and adenocarcinoma usually arise spontaneously or as a result of metastasis
• Signs: anorexia, nausea, vomiting, non-responsive chronic diarrhea, melaena, weight loss, abdominal pain, lethargy.
• Diagnosis: gastroscopy or exploratory laparotomy and biopsy
• Treatment: no known effective treatment
• Prognosis: guarded to poor depending on location

Pathogenesis

Etiology

• Pancreatic, intestinal and gastric/pyloric adenocarcinoma usually arise spontaneously.
• H. mustelae in ferrets can cause chronic gastritis Helicobacter mustelae gastritis and has been associated with both pyloric adenocarcinoma and mucosal associated lymphoid tissue gastric lymphoma Lymphoma overview.

Pathophysiology

• Most gastrointestinal adenocarcinomas are thought to be of spontaneous origin.
• Chronic gastritis is thought to predispose to gastric adenocarcinoma (as well as gastric lymphoma).
• Pancreatic beta islet cell carcinoma can metastasize extensively, and cause generalized abdominal carcinomatosis.
• Intestinal adenocarcinoma may result in complete intestinal obstruction.
• Hepatic adenocarcinomata can result from adrenal metastasis.
• Hepatic carcinoma may arise spontaneously.

Timecourse

• Gastric/pyloric adenocarcinoma: once clinical signs are evident disease may progress rapidly and become fatal or warrant euthanasia.
• Intestinal adenocarcinoma that results in intestinal obstruction may result in rapid deterioration.
• Other carcinomas and adenocarcinomas may not present as acutely.

Diagnosis

Treatment

Prevention

Outcomes