News

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…

Test for Cushing’s still performs well with limited measurements

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.

Skin cream deemed cause of woman’s Cushing’s syndrome

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.