News

Scientists have developed a better method of diagnosing Cushing’s syndrome that measures cortisol levels in a patient’s saliva. The enhanced testing protocol improves upon a method originally developed for urine cortisol, a study shows. The study, “Clinical utility of an ultrasensitive late night salivary cortisol assay by tandem mass…

The surgical removal of two-thirds of the pituitary gland is associated with high initial remission rates and low operative morbidity in patients with suspected Cushing’s disease, when no tumor is found on the gland during surgical exploration. Cushing’s disease (CD) is caused by increased levels of glucocoticosteroids, such as…

Ectopic Cushing’s syndrome can be challenging to diagnose, especially when it comes identifying the problem source. But appropriate hormone management protocols, used in combination with advanced imaging methods, may help physicians identify ectopic ACTH-producing tumors. The findings in a case report of a young man with ectopic Cushing’s syndrome were…

All patients who undergo removal of one adrenal gland due to Cushing’s syndrome (CS) or adrenal incidentaloma (AI, adrenal tumors discovered incidentally) should receive a steroid substitutive therapy, a new study shows. The study, “Predictability of hypoadrenalism occurrence and duration after adrenalectomy for ACTH‐independent hypercortisolism,” was published…

Premenopausal women whose Cushing’s syndrome is in remission are at high risk of having a heart problem even if they don’t have a cardiovascular disease, a study shows. The research, “Translational evidence of prothrombotic and inflammatory endothelial damage in Cushing Syndrome after remission,” was published in the…

Certain regions of the brain in patients with Cushing’s disease are associated with altered metabolism, indicating a mechanism of cognitive impairment, new study shows. The study, “Voxel-based comparison of brain glucose metabolism between patients with Cushing’s disease and healthy subjects,” was published in the journal…

Microwave therapy improved the Cushing’s syndrome of a woman whose lungs had almost failed, allowing her to have the adrenal surgery needed to control her disease, a case study showed. Lung infections had led to her near-respiratory failure. Cushing’s syndrome stems from the pituitary gland producing excessive amounts of adrenocorticotropic…

People with high cortisol levels have lower muscle mass and higher visceral fat deposits, putting them at a greater risk for cardiovascular disease, new research shows. High levels of cortisol can result from a variety of reasons, including Cushing’s disease and adrenal tumors. Most adrenal tumors are found to…

Interactions between the HIV antiretroviral therapy Norvir (ritonavir) and the pain relief medication Kenalog (triamcinolone) can lead to Cushing’s disease, according to a new report. The study, “Acute development of Cushing syndrome in an HIV-infected child on atazanavir/ritonavir based antiretroviral therapy,” appeared in the journal…

The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) says it’s “disappointed and dismayed” after the House of Representatives voted 227-205 last week to repeal the Orphan Drug Tax Credit as part of a U.S. tax reform package. A similar package before the Senate Finance Committee does not repeal the credit…