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Transsphenoidal surgery effective in children with Cushing’s disease

Transsphenoidal surgery, a minimally invasive procedure to remove pituitary tumors through the nose, achieved long-term remission in nearly all children with Cushing’s disease who participated in a single-center study in China. “While recurrence occurred in a minority of patients, primarily those with [small tumors], durable disease control is attainable for…

Cushing’s patients’ pituitary tumors become aggressive cancers

The noncancerous pituitary gland tumors that cause Cushing’s disease can rarely become cancerous, leading to rapidly progressing disease, a recent case report highlighted. Scientists reported on two middle-aged women with Cushing’s who underwent surgery and radiation therapy for their pituitary tumors. The tumors eventually recurred and spread, showing signs…

Self-medication with steroids leads to Cushing’s for 5 in Yemen

Unrestricted access to glucocorticoids, such as dexamethasone, and self-administration without prescription can lead to Cushing’s syndrome, a case series from Yemen showed. “The education of physicians, pharmacists, and patients is necessary to avoid this problem,” the researcher who conducted the study wrote. “Physicians should keep this in mind and question…

USP8 mutations tied to worse outcomes in Cushing’s children

Children with Cushing’s disease whose pituitary tumors carry USP8 gene mutations tend to have larger, more invasive tumors and face a higher risk of persistent or recurrent disease after surgery, a study reports. While inherited mutations do not cause most pediatric cases, non-inherited mutations appear to influence tumor size…

Rare nasal tumor causes Cushing’s syndrome in man, 70, in US

The case of a 70-year-old U.S. man with ectopic Cushing’s syndrome caused by an unusual type of nasal tumor, called an olfactory neuroblastoma, was described in a report that, according to its author, “demonstrates the necessity of collaboration among endocrinology, otolaryngology, neurosurgery, radiology, and oncology teams in managing rare ACTH-secreting…