Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

Despite repeatedly testing negative for high cortisol levels on standard lab tests, a woman in her 30s was found to have Cushing’s syndrome after undergoing a specialized blood analysis. That test allowed doctors to measure the levels of the hormone cortisol — too much of which is a hallmark of…

A diagnostic test utilizing desmopressin, an artificial form of a hormone that’s used to control excessive thirst and urination and prevent dehydration, can help to accurately identify Cushing’s disease, a new study reports. The study, “Enhancing Cushing’s disease diagnosis: exploring the impact of desmopressin on ACTH…

Young people with Cushing’s disease who have low bone density also tend to have low levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), a signaling molecule that’s known to play key roles in bone development, a new study shows. “Our study found that a higher IGF-1 index was independently and significantly…

A woman who developed Cushing’s syndrome as a complication of kidney cancer saw her symptoms fully resolve after the tumor was surgically removed. This is the first published account that definitively describes Cushing’s syndrome developing as a paraneoplastic (cancer-related) complication of this type of cancer and resolving after its removal,…

An imaging abnormality that makes it harder for clinicians to visualize the brain’s pituitary gland can complicate efforts to diagnose and manage Cushing’s disease, a recent report highlights. The abnormality affects the bony compartment that houses the pituitary gland, making “visual diagnosis of pituitary adenoma [benign tumors] even more…

Men with Cushing’s syndrome may be at an increased risk of developing anemia (low red blood cell counts) in the months following surgery to remove a disease-driving tumor, a recent study suggests. Researchers found red blood cell dynamics are altered in people with Cushing’s syndrome, and the specific patterns of…

People with Cushing’s syndrome are at a greater risk of developing complications, particularly infections, after undergoing hip or knee replacement surgery, a recent study reported. “This study revealed that patients who have [Cushing’s syndrome] are at increased risk of developing early postoperative complications following [total joint replacement],” the researchers wrote.

A CT scan-based measurement of the amount of fat and muscle tissue around the hips may help identify Cushing’s syndrome in older female patients with adrenal tumors. That’s according to the study, “Iliopsoas muscle to visceral fat ratio on CT predicts Cushing’s syndrome in elderly females with adrenal tumors,”…

A rare type of tumor caused Cushing’s syndrome with unusual symptoms, including brain damage and hallucinations, in a 72-year-old woman, according to a recent case report. The disease-causing tumor was removed, and researchers report that the patient is now fully recovered, with partial resolution of the disease-associated brain damage. The…

Genetic variations were not significantly associated with the time to recovery of adrenal function following surgery for Cushing’s disease, an exploratory study reported. According to the researchers, these findings indicate that other factors, such as surgical and clinical factors, are likely more relevant to define the timing of adrenal…