News

Early screening for underlying causes of obesity before weight-loss surgery, including Cushing’s syndrome in individuals with suggestive signs, may help improve outcomes and reduce unnecessary procedures. That’s according to a report that described the case of a woman in Saudi Arabia who underwent unsuccessful bariatric surgery and was ultimately…

People with Cushing’s disease who don’t have a disease-causing tumor visible on MRI scans are less likely to experience full symptom control following pituitary surgery, a new study shows. Researchers think the lower success rate in these patients may be due to some individuals having corticotroph hyperplasia, an underrecognized…

Cushing’s disease was identified as the underlying cause of spinal epidural lipomatosis (SEL) — a rare condition marked by the buildup of fat in the space around the spinal cord — in a 62-year-old woman with progressive leg weakness who had to undergo immediate spinal decompression surgery. Both that…

A urine test that measures cortisol, cortisone, and dexamethasone simultaneously can improve the reliability of 24-hour urinary free cortisol (UFC) testing for diagnosing Cushing’s syndrome, including Cushing’s disease, according to a study It also helps detect interfering medications and provides doctors with additional biomarkers for more accurate…

In people with Cushing’s disease, high cortisol levels can lead to problems with a key system that clears waste from the brain, and dysfunction of this system may set the stage for damage to the brain that leads to cognitive issues in some Cushing’s patients, according to a study.

A history of unexplained deep vein thrombosis, or blood clots in the deep veins, in an obese woman was ultimately revealed as an undiagnosed case of Cushing’s disease, according to a case study. Venous thromboembolism, a group of conditions that includes deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism (when blood…

Relacorilant, an oral treatment being developed by Corcept Therapeutics, appears to be safe and effective for controlling high blood pressure caused by hypercortisolism, or excess cortisol, in adults with endogenous Cushing’s syndrome, including Cushing’s disease. That’s according to GRACE (NCT03697109), an international Phase 3 clinical study…

In Cushing’s disease, an imaging technique that uses a radioactive tracer targeting the CXCR4 protein may help locate the tumor responsible for the condition, according to a Chinese study. The researchers also found that tumors with lower levels of CXCR4 were linked to higher recurrence rates. This technique combines…

A 20-year-old man developed exogenous, or therapy-related, Cushing’s syndrome after taking a high-dose steroid on his own for more than a year to treat autoimmune alopecia, a form of hair loss, according to a case report. The case “underscores the serious complications that can arise from steroid use,” the researchers…

Chronic pain and body image issues, not hormonal shifts, are the primary drivers of depression in people with Cushing’s syndrome, a new study finds. For many patients, the mental health toll of the rare disorder is shaped more by physical suffering and self-perception than by high cortisol levels. Therefore, treating…