Patricia Inácio, PhD, science writer —

Levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in circulation after pituitary surgery may help predict which Cushing’s disease patients will achieve early remission and which will eventually see the disease return, a study shows. Also, the earlier that patients reached their lowest peak of ACTH levels, the better their long-term…

Tumors in the thymus that produce too much of the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) may be the cause of ectopic Cushing’s syndrome, a case report shows. ACTH staining may be useful to confirm ACTH production in suspicious tumors, researchers said. The study, “Ectopic Cushing’s syndrome due to adrenocorticotropic hormone secreting…

The European Medicine Agency‘s Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP) has recommended that Corcept Therapeutics‘ relacorilant receive orphan drug designation for the treatment of Cushing’s syndrome, the company announced in a press release. The European Commission is expected to accept the recommendation by the end of the…

Elevated cortisol levels in people with subclinical Cushing’s syndrome appear to increase their likelihood of metabolic disease — a group of factors that raise the risk of heart disease — even though these patients don’t have the typical weight gain seen in overt Cushing’s syndrome, a study suggests. Results of the…

Increased cortisol secretion may follow a cyclic pattern in patients with adrenal incidentalomas, a phenomenon that may lead to misdiagnosis, a study reports. Since cyclic subclinical hypercortisolism may increase the risk for heart problems, researchers recommend extended follow-up with repeated tests to measure cortisol levels in these patients. The study,…

Cushing’s disease patients in Sweden have a higher risk of death than the general Swedish population, particularly of cardiovascular complications, and that increased risk persists even in patients in remission, a large nationwide study shows. The study, “Overall and disease-specific mortality in patients with Cushing’s disease: a Swedish nationwide study,”…

The production of adenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) by the placenta during pregnancy may complicate and worsen Cushing’s syndrome manifestations, a case report shows. The study, “Exacerbation of Cushing’s syndrome during pregnancy: stimulation of a cortisol-secreting adrenocortical adenoma by ACTH originating from the foeto-placental unit” was published in the journal Endocrinology,…

Mutations in the GNAS gene might indicate patients with subclinical Cushing’s syndrome — mild cortisol elevation without physical signs of Cushing’s — whose disease is caused by distinct mechanisms of other Cushing’s syndrome patients. Screening for GNAS gene mutations may help diagnose patients with this type of Cushing’s syndrome and improve their outcomes,…

Cushing’s syndrome patients who undergo adrenal surgery are more likely to have venous thromboembolism — blood clots that originate in the veins — than patients who have the same procedure for other conditions, a study suggests. Physicians should consider preventive treatment for this complication in Cushing’s syndrome patients who are…

Laparoscopic adrenalectomy — a minimally invasive procedure that removes the adrenal glands through a tiny hole in the abdomen — can be safely performed in obese patients with Cushing’s syndrome, a retrospective study reports. The surgery resolved symptoms in 95% of cases, reducing cortisol levels, lowering blood pressure, and leading to…