Limiting the number of measurements in the low-dose overnight dexamethasone suppression test (oDST), which is commonly used to diagnose Cushing’s syndrome, does not affect the test’s performance, a study showed. A new protocol, called Reflex, performs additional tests only among people whose initial tests suggest the presence of Cushing’s.
Long-term use of topical corticosteroids for a genetic skin condition caused Cushing’s syndrome and adrenal insufficiency — low hormone production from the adrenal glands — in a 50-year-old woman, according to a case report. “This case highlights the risk of systemic complications from chronic topical corticosteroid use,” the researchers wrote.
A combination of two noninvasive tests — the dexamethasone suppression test and high-resolution MRI scans — was found to correctly distinguish between Cushing’s disease and ectopic Cushing’s syndrome in patients, according to a new study. The accuracy seen in combining these tests was comparable to that of bilateral inferior…
Korlym (mifepristone) lowered the levels of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), which reflects the average amount of blood sugar over the past three months, in people with Cushing’s syndrome and treatment-resistant type 2 diabetes. That’s according to newly published data from the now-complete Phase 4 CATALYST (NCT05772169) clinical trial, which…
Surgery to remove pituitary tumors, the first-line treatment for Cushing’s disease, can increase the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), or blood clot formation in veins, especially within a week of the procedure, according to a new study. Identified risk factors for post-surgical VTE include older age, high blood pressure,…
Surgeons used ultrasound to successfully remove a pituitary tumor that was undetectable by MRI to cure a 55-year-old woman of Cushing’s disease, a case study reported. The case “suggests the potential utility of ultrasound in MRI-negative Cushing’s disease,” the researchers wrote. “It raises the possibility that even small pituitary…
Most people with Cushing’s syndrome see their adrenal function recover after first-line surgery to remove disease-causing tumors, even though it may take several months or years, according to a study that also showed a younger age at diagnosis was linked to faster adrenal recovery. “The recovery rate of adrenal function…
Two women with Cushing’s disease successfully used the cortisol-lowering medication metyrapone during their pregnancy, a case study shows. “Metyrapone represents a viable option for managing [Cushing’s disease] throughout pregnancy when surgical intervention is contraindicated or declined, although careful monitoring and dose optimization are essential,” the researchers wrote. The cases…
Treatment with Signifor (pasireotide) normalized urinary cortisol levels in about half of adults with Cushing’s disease, regardless of their gender, a small real-world study suggests. Because treatment response was associated with the absence of diabetes before treatment, researchers suggest proper blood sugar management in patients planning to start…
An 8-year-old girl was diagnosed with primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease (PPNAD), a rare genetic disorder that can cause Cushing’s syndrome, a case study reports. Hers was the first reported case of PPNAD caused by a duplication in the PRKACA gene. according to the researchers. The girl’s case was described in…
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