Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
2
pubmed:dateCreated
1993-4-12
pubmed:abstractText
We report on a female patient with Cushing's syndrome in whom we observed the transition from pituitary dependency to adrenal dependency. Basal ACTH and cortisol values, the CRH test, the dexamethasone suppression test as well as CT of the pituitary and the adrenal gland all reflected pituitary-dependent Cushing's disease in 1985. The patient refused treatment, but presented again five years later. At that time ACTH was suppressed before and after CRH injection. Plasma cortisol did not respond to CRH. After ketoconazole therapy, ACTH was within the high normal range. The patient underwent bilateral adrenalectomy. The adrenals exhibited a bilateral micronodular hyperplasia of the zona fasciculata. In vitro examination of adrenal cells revealed a maintained ACTH response. Some weeks postoperatively, the patient died from pneumonia. Histological examination later showed a chromophobe pituitary microadenoma; ACTH was demonstrated immunohistologically in the adenoma. We postulate that some cases of pituitary Cushing's disease initially exhibit a bilateral homogeneous adrenal hyperplasia which then develops into a nodular hyperplasia; in the next stage of the disease, single micronodules may become autonomous and elevated cortisol levels suppress ACTH secretion of the pituitary adenoma.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Feb
pubmed:issn
0001-5598
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
128
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
120-5
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1993
pubmed:articleTitle
Hypercortisolism with non-pigmented micronodular adrenal hyperplasia: transition from pituitary-dependent to adrenal-dependent Cushing's syndrome.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Medicine, Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Case Reports