News

People with active Cushing’s disease show increased production of red blood cells due to the presence of a type of altered blood stem cell that show abnormal activation of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) signaling, a study shows. The GR is the receptor protein activated by glucocorticoids, or steroid hormones, including…

Elevated blood sugar levels and a failure to respond properly to insulin – the hormone that helps regulate blood sugar – are common features in people with Cushing’s syndrome, according to a Chinese report. Its authors suggest that measures of insulin sensitivity and a response from beta-cells – the…

The 2008 Endocrine Society Practice guideline remains a valid tool for defining the clinical signs and at-risk groups that should undergo screening for Cushing’s syndrome, according to a 10-year prospective German study. However, while 73% of the Cushing’s diagnoses were made in the at-risk groups defined by the guideline, the…

A 70-year-old woman with ectopic Cushing’s syndrome was successfully treated for COVID-19 with intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg) — a therapy prepared from the blood of thousands of healthy donors that contains a mixture of antibodies — according to a case report. Given the lack of guidelines for the management of…

The case of a woman with Cushing’s syndrome whose symptoms included eyelid edema — swelling of the upper eyelids — was described in a recent report. Its authors described eyelid edema is “a significant sign” of Cushing’s, but also noted the symptom “has scarcely been reported in countries other than…

Removing a pituitary tumor through the nostrils with an endoscope led to shorter recovery times for patients with Cushing’s disease than for those who had the surgery through the traditional microscopic approach, a study reports. However, similar remission, recurrence, and complication rates were found between patients, regardless of the…

Nonprofits, scientists, governmental organizations, and the rare disease drug development industry have long cited 7,000 as the average number of rare diseases in the world. But a new analysis shows there are as many as 10,867 rare diseases globally. And that…

A man with a known history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and asthma developed Cushing’s syndrome after taking Tybost (cobicistat) together with fluticasone, according to a report from Spain. Tybost is a antiretroviral medicine booster, while fluticasone is a corticosteroid. The condition occurred because Tybost slows down how fast…

A minimally invasive chest surgery using a single-incision subxiphoid approach was used to effectively remove a tumor in the thymus of a 29-year-old woman with ectopic Cushing’s syndrome, as described in a recent case report. The muscle-sparing incision causes less trauma and potentially could reduce post-surgical pain and shorten recovery…

Metopirone (metyrapone) and Isturisa (osilodrostat) were both effective at controlling cortisol levels in people with endogenous Cushing’s syndrome over a 12-week period, according to a recent study. However, Isturisa tended to lower cortisol levels faster, and appeared to be better at controlling blood pressure than Metopirone. Some heart…