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…
Treatment with mesenchymal stem cells, a type of adult stem cell, was shown to reduce the levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol — known as bad cholesterol — in a mouse model of exogenous Cushing’s syndrome, according to a study conducted in South Korea. The researchers noted that exogenous Cushing’s,…
A protein called ACBP mediates the relationship between elevated levels of cortisol, the hallmark feature of Cushing’s syndrome, and the development of associated symptoms, according to a mouse study led by researchers in France. Using several methods to suppress ACBP activity, the researchers abolished Cushing’s signs in the mice —…
People with Cushing’s syndrome have soft bones, even after being in remission for a long time, a study reported. Despite having comparable bone mineral density, a standard measure of bone health based on its mineral content, Cushing’s patients in remission scored significantly lower on the material strength index (BMSi), an…
A 75-year-old woman with Cushing’s disease who was first seen with marked weight loss and low blood levels of potassium, or hypokalemia, was described by researchers as an unusual example of the condition, one otherwise resembling ectopic Cushing’s syndrome. “This case highlights the need to entertain a broad differential…
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