News

Rare case of spontaneous remission in Cushing’s reported in girl, 14

The rare case of a 14-year-old girl who experienced spontaneous remission of Cushing’s disease after pituitary tumor apoplexy has been reported by researchers in South America. Pituitary apoplexy, or PA, is a rare and potentially life-threatening condition caused by bleeding or infarction (cell death due to impaired blood flow)…

Invasive tumor in thymus causes difficult case of ectopic Cushing’s

An invasive tumor in the thymus turned out to be the cause of a 31-year-old woman’s severe ectopic, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-dependent Cushing’s syndrome, according to a case recently reported in Poland. As initial imaging scans failed to detect the thymus lesion, a tumor in the left adrenal gland was suspected…

USP8 gene mutations found to cause 35% of pituitary adenomas

Mutations in the USP8 gene are found in 35% of the pituitary corticotroph adenomas that cause Cushing’s disease, and more commonly affect women than men, a review study found. Thus, targeting the gene and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) — whose levels are increased in patients with USP8 mutations…

Psychiatric ills continuing risk with Cushing’s, despite tumor surgery

People with Cushing’s disease are at an increased risk of complications, particularly psychiatric disorders requiring hospitalization, even after the disease-causing tumor has been surgically removed, a study indicates. Its findings “support the need for comprehensive clinical evaluation and tailored interventions for [Cushing’s disease] patients, even post-surgery,” the researchers wrote.

Chromogranin A levels set Cushing’s disease, ectopic Cushing’s apart

A protein found in tissues that produce and release hormones may be a biomarker to help distinguish Cushing’s disease from adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-dependent ectopic Cushing’s. That’s according to a recent study in Japan that also reported that chromogranin A was higher in people with ACTH-dependent ectopic Cushing’s than those…

Rare tumor causes cyclic Cushing’s syndrome in woman, 71

A 71-year-old woman developed cyclic Cushing’s syndrome, where periods of hypercortisolism alternate with periods of normal or low cortisol levels, as the result of a pheochromocytoma, a rare type of tumor that forms in the adrenal glands atop the kidneys. Cushing’s syndrome is due to high cortisol levels, or…