Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

Ectopic ACTH-secreting pituitary adenomas (EAPAs), a rare cause of Cushing’s disease, are more commonly found in women, who also have a poorer prognosis than men with the same condition, a study suggests. Titled “Long-term follow-up for ectopic ACTH-secreting pituitary adenoma in a single tertiary medical…

A diagnostic technique called bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling (BIPSS), which measures the levels of the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) produced by the pituitary gland, should only be used to diagnose cyclic Cushing’s syndrome patients during periods of cortisol excess, a case report shows. When it…

Cushing’s disease patients who are treated with cabergoline while undergoing conventional fractionated radiotherapy have a higher risk of disease recurrence after initial remission, a small study has found. The study, “Cabergoline may act as a radioprotective agent in Cushing’s disease,” was published in Clinical Endocrinology. Radiation…

Targeting the USP8 protein, which is frequently mutated in Cushing’s disease patients, lowered the levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone, inhibited cell proliferation, and caused cell death in a mouse cell model of the disease, a study found. As a result, USP8 may be a promising target for therapies…

People living with HIV who develop Cushing’s syndrome due to drug interactions tend to have more severe symptoms than non-infected people, a study found. The study, “Cushing’s syndrome due to interaction between ritonavir or cobicistat and corticosteroids: a case-control study in the French Pharmacovigilance Database,”…

Asymmetry of blood outflow patterns from the inferior petrosal sinus (IPS) — the two main veins which drain the pituitary gland — does not make it more difficult to figure out which side of the gland has an adenoma that is causing Cushing’s disease, a study suggests. Titled…

A study reports that intravenous infusion with etomidate can stabilize dangerously high cortisol in Cushing’s syndrome patients experiencing episodes of cortisol excess. The study, “Continuous Etomidate Infusion for the Management of Severe Cushing Syndrome: Validation of a Standard Protocol,” was published in Journal of the Endocrine Society. Cushing’s…

A simple test that measures free cortisol levels in saliva at midnight — called a midnight salivary cortisol test — showed good diagnostic performance for Cushing’s syndrome among a Chinese population, according to a recent study. The test was better than the standard urine free cortisol levels and may be…