Acta Vet. Brno 2026, 95: 45-51
Concurrent juvenile primary acquired hypothyroidism in a young Maltese with glycogen storage disease – a case report
A 1-year-old Maltese dog weighing 1.6 kg was referred for evaluation of a persistent comatose mentation that developed within one day following treatments for seizures and hypoglycaemia. At presentation, the dog exhibited signs of mild dehydration (approximately 5%), pinpoint pupils, and hypothermia. Initial differential diagnoses included portosystemic shunt, glycogen storage disease (GSD), and congenital hypothyroidism based on clinical presentation and history. The bile acid and ammonia concentrations were within the reference intervals, thereby ruling out a portosystemic shunt. A thyroid panel was conducted, with the results revealing low serum total thyroxine concentrations with elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone concentrations, and subsequent thyroid-stimulating hormone stimulation test confirmed hypothyroidism. Euthanasia was performed at the owner’s request. Histopathologic examination revealed idiopathic thyroid gland atrophy, diffuse vacuolar degeneration with glycogen accumulation in the liver and kidneys. The diagnosis was GSD type Ia and concurrent juvenile primary acquired hypothyroidism. This case highlights the importance of a comprehensive evaluation for concurrent congenital and acquired endocrine disorders in young dogs presenting with neurological and metabolic abnormalities.
Keywords
Funding
This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) (No. RS-2025-24683314).
