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Treatment

Surgical removal of the affected adrenal gland(s) coupled with complete surgical excision of any abscess (if possible) or cutting a slit into a cyst and suturing the edges may be the treatment of choice. Removal of the affected adrenal gland(s) will cause a significant reduction in the size of prostatic tissue, usually within a few days. If the bladder is full of pus, surgery may be indicated to remove accumulated material. Medications may be enough to achieve these results; however, surgical removal of prostatic abscesses is still necessary.

Living and Management

The prognosis is poor when large prostatic abscesses are found because complete removal may be difficult and the response to antibiotic therapy is variable. Your veterinarian will want to monitor for signs of peritonitis, such as fever, anorexia, lethargy, and abdominal distension. Following unilateral adrenalectomy or subtotal adrenalectomy (removal of one or both glands that rest above the kidney), he or she will want to monitor for return of clinical signs because tumor recurrence and subsequent prostatic disease is common. An ultrasound at two- to four-week intervals after adrenalectomy may be used to follow resolution of abscesses.