Refractory Cushing's disease caused by multinodular ACTH-cell hyperplasia

A patient with pituitary-dependent hypercortisolism, unresponsive to resection of nodules in the anterior lobe, is described. Histochemical stains of the nodules showed multiple, focal, cellular expansions of the fibrovascular stroma. Transitions between normal and expanded adenohypophysial acini were present. Immunoperoxidase stains for ACTH and other pituitary hormones revealed that these multiple foci contained an excess of ACTH-positive cells. Less than 10% of the cells in these foci were negative for ACTH and positive for other hormones. Serial sections showed that these foci of predominantly ACTH-producing acini were not connected. Clinical, morphological, and immunohistochemical data indicated that ACTH-cell hyperplasia caused Crushing's disease in this patient. Pathologic study of individual cases should concentrate on determining whether hyperplasia or adenoma exist at the time of surgical exploration of the pituitary gland, since this determination is important to proper treatment. Tentative criteria to recognize ACTH-cell hyperplasia are: 1. Multiple foci of ACTH laden cells. 2. A minor subpopulation of cells of alternate hormone series. 3. Expansion without destruction of acini in the adenohypophysis.     

岩下窦静脉取血在疑难ACTH依赖性库欣综合征诊断中的应用

目的 探讨岩下窦静脉取血(IPSS)在疑难库欣综合征诊断中的价值.方法 对20例疑难库欣综合征行岩下窦和外周静脉取血,测定血ACTH浓度比,评价其对库欣病诊断的敏感性和特异性.结果 18例患者的岩下窦与外周静脉血ACTH的比值＞2,其中13例行经蝶窦垂体术后病理为垂体ACTH腺瘤;1例行鞍区γ-刀治疗、4例行生长抑素治疗后病情缓解.2例岩下窦与外周静脉血ACTH的比值＜2,其中1例为右肺类癌,另1例为垂体ACTH腺瘤.本组IPSS诊断库欣病的敏感性和特异性分别为93%和100%.结论 IPSS操作安全,并发症少,可作为疑难库欣综合征的重要鉴别方法.     

Cushing's disease due to plurihormonal adrenocorticotropic hormone and gonadotropin-producing pituitary adenoma

A 67-year-old woman presented with clinical features of hypercortisolism in association with an invasive pituitary macroadenoma. Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-dependent Cushing's disease was documented, and the resected tumor was chromophobic, weakly positive with periodic-Schiff reagent, and showed immunostaining for ACTH and beta-endorphin in a minority of adenoma cells. Both luteinizing hormone and alpha-subunit staining were also observed, but no follicle-stimulating hormone reactivity was seen. Ultrastructurally, the tumor showed typical features of a gonadotroph adenoma of female type. Immunoelectron microscopy showed that ACTH was not produced in corticotrophs, but in cells with the characteristic features of gonadotrophs. This represents the second report of a plurihormonal gonadotroph adenoma producing sufficient ACTH to result in pituitary-dependent Cushing's disease.     

病理未能证实垂体腺瘤库欣病的手术疗效(附61例分析)

目的探讨病理结果阴性库欣病的经蝶窦显微外科手术疗效。方法回顾性分析61例病理结果阴性库欣病的临床资料。本组均有典型的皮质醇增多症临床表现;内分泌检查符合库欣病48例,不典型13例;术前MRI诊断为微腺瘤33例,未见异常28例。行经蝶窦入路微腺瘤切除加瘤周垂体组织部分切除31例,垂体前叶部分切除30例。随访1.5～10年,平均3.3年。结果病理为垂体增生31例,其中Crooke细胞呈结节样增生17例;垂体前、后叶组织30例。本组治愈19例(31.2%),缓解16例(26.2%),无效26例(42.6%);有明显皮质醇功能低下表现者17例。术后行垂体放疗8例,肾上腺切除9例。结论病理未能发现肿瘤组织库欣病的疗效低于有明确腺瘤者。垂体放疗或肾上腺切除可以做为手术无效者的二线治疗方法。     

Arginine vasopressin,but not corticotropin releasing factor,is a potent stimulator of adrenocorticotropic hormone following electroconvulsive treatment

Neuroendocrine responses to the hypothalamic pituitary-adrenal axis following electroconvulsive treatment (ECT) were evaluated in twelve depressed (6 males/6 females) patients. Plasma concentrations of arginine vasopressin (AVP), corticotropin releasing factor (CRF), corticotropin (ACTH), and cortisol were measured using radioimmunological methods at four different ECT occasions. At each occasion plasma samples were taken immediately before ECT, at the recovery of spontaneous breathing and at 10 and 30 minutes after the ECT. No changes were observed in the plasma CRF concentrations. A large and rapid increase in plasma AVP concentrations was seen after the ECTs. This was followed by increased plasma ACTH and plasma cortisol levels. It is generally believed that AVP exerts a modulatory potentiating action on the CRF-induced ACTH release. The present results demonstrate that AVP per se can cause a release of ACTH from the anterior pituitary.     

A case of non‐functioning pituitary adenoma with Cushing's syndrome upon recurrence

A 49‐year‐old woman presented with left visual disturbance. No signs of Cushing's disease were evident. Basal levels of serum cortisol and plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) were 16.8 μg/dL and 66.0 pg/mL, respectively. MRI demonstrated an irregularly shaped large pituitary tumor, and the patient then underwent transsphenoidal surgery. By light microscopy the tumor represented a chromophobic adenoma with a few of the adenoma cells showing immunoreactivity for ACTH. On the basis of clinical and light microscopic examinations, the diagnosis of silent corticotroph adenoma was made. Electron microscopy, however, demonstrated the honeycomb Golgi complex that has been reported as a typical finding of gonadotroph adenomas. MRI taken 7 months after the first operation revealed adenoma regrowth. Transcranial surgery was performed, and histology demonstrated a chromophobic pituitary adenoma with most cells immunopositive for ACTH. She was treated with gamma knife postoperatively. Three months later, MRI revealed remarkable shrinkage of the adenoma, but she developed typical signs and symptoms of Cushing's disease. Thus, the hormone immunostaining and biological activity of pituitary adenomas may change with time.     

Plasma profiles of adrenocorticotropic hormone,cortisol, growth hormone and prolactin in patients with untreated parkinson's disease

Summary Plasma profiles of prolactin, growth hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol were evaluated in a group of untreated patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease and a group of healthy age-matched controls. Plasma integrated concentrations of all hormones except prolactin were significantly lower in the patients as compared with the controls; however, prolactin nocturnal peak concentration was significantly elevated in the patients; nocturnal growth hormone levels were significantly reduced in the Parkinson group; ACTH and cortisol plasma concentrations were also consistently lower during most of the day in the patients with Parkinson's disease. These data confirm the presence of a hypothalamic disturbance in patients with idopathic Parkinson's disease, which can affect pituitary function.     

Intraoperative bilateral cavernous sinus sampling for ACTH measurements during transsphenoidal pituitary surgery in patients with Cushing's disease

Intraoperative bilateral cavernous sinus sampling combined with rapid ACTH measurement was performed in a pilot study in seven patients with Cushing's disease during transsphenoidal pituitary surgery before and immediately after removal of the ACTH-producing pituitary microadenoma. Before tumor removal a gradient in ACTH concentrations greater than 1.5:1 toward the side of the tumor was found in six patients whereas ACTH concentrations in the right and left cavernous sinuses were similar in one patient with a midline tumor. Immediately after tumor removal, six of seven patients showed variable decreases in ACTH levels in the ipsilateral and/or contralateral side, whereas in one patient the ACTH levels in cavernous sinuses failed to reflect successful tumor removal. These results indicate that intraoperative bilateral cavernous sinus sampling combined with rapid ACTH measurement may be useful to confirm and lateralize ACTH-producing pituitary microadenomas during surgery, but ACTH levels measured immediately after tumor removal do not always predict surgical cure.     

Management of ACTH-secreting supradiaphragmatic adenomas

Supradiaphragmatic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) secreting pituitary adenomas are exceptionally encountered (14 cases previously described) and raise issues concerning their nosology and management. If surgery is the treatment of choice, the nature of surgical approach (craniotomy, transsphenoidal approach) remains controversial. To illustrate this issue, we presented two cases of supradiaphragmatic ACTH secreting pituitary adenomas successfully excised via a subfrontal approach. Both patients were female (20 and 41 years) and had a typical Cushing's syndrome. MRI revealed, in both cases, a suprasellar mass in contact with the pars tuberalis of the pituitary. In the first case, the patient underwent initially a transsphenoidal approach with negative exploration and subsequent partial hypophysectomy. One year later, the patient was operated on again via a subfrontal approach, allowing excision of a supradiaphragmatic adenoma and a complete cure of Cushing's disease. In the second case, the patient underwent initially a subfrontal approach and was definitely cured. In both cases, the diaphragma sellae was found to be intact and the pituitary stalk could be preserved. Postoperative MRI demonstrated a clearly visible intact pituitary stalk in conjunction with normal aspect of the pituitary. Supradiaphragmatic pituitary adenomas are most likely adenomas of the pituitary stalk with extra-axial development. Surgery remains the treatment of choice. Should the superior approach be preferred, the transsphenoidal-transtuberculum sellae approach may represent a viable alternative when performed by a well-trained surgical team. Surgery may be difficult, and drawbacks are non negligible, particularly in elderly patients. In these cases, stereotactic radiosurgery should receive more consideration.     

Abnormal ACTH and cortisol responses to ovine corticotropin releasing factor in patients with primary affective disorder

To further explore hypothalamic pituitary adrenal regulation in patients with affective illness, we administered 1 microgram/kg of synthetic ovine corticotropin releasing factor at 2000h to 26 drug-free patients with this disorder and to 15 healthy controls. Compared to controls, depressed patients (N = 12) showed a significant elevation in baseline cortisol and significant reductions in the net ACTH and cortisol responses to corticotropin releasing factor. These findings were normal in manic (N = 6) and improved (N = 8) subjects. An additional finding was that baseline cortisol and net ACTH and cortisol responses to CRF were negatively correlated in the entire group of patients and controls as well as in the patients alone. These data indicate that the reduced ACTH and cortisol responses to CRF in depression reflect normal functioning of the pituitary corticotroph cell (i.e., that the negative feedback effect of cortisol on ACTH secretion in depression is physiologically intact, effectively serving as a brake on the ACTH response to exogenous CRF. Thus, the hypercortisolism of depression may be due to a hypothalamic defect, possibly involving hypersecretion of endogenous CRF. This possibility may be of particular interest in light of clinical observations that depression can often be precipitated by stress and by data in experimental animals that CRF may influence several processes known to be altered in the overall symptom complex of depression.     

Pathophysiology of hypercortisolism in depression: pituitary and adrenal responses to low glucocorticoid feedback

Carroll BJ, Iranmanesh A, Keenan DM, Cassidy F, Wilson WH, Veldhuis JD. Pathophysiology of hypercortisolism in depression: pituitary and adrenal responses to low glucocorticoid feedback. Objective: To test three theories of hypercortisolemia in depression–hypothalamic overdrive, impaired glucocorticoid feedback, or autonomous cortisol production. Method: We applied an overnight low‐cortisol feedback strategy by administering metyrapone to hypercortisolemic depressed in‐patients and control subjects. Results: Under metyrapone, the increases of plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) concentrations and of basal and pulsatile ACTH secretion were not exaggerated in hypercortisolemic depressed patients compared with control subjects. ACTH approximate entropy (ApEn) did not differ at baseline or under metyrapone. Thus, neither hypothalamic overdrive nor irregular ACTH secretion was seen. We did not detect impaired cortisol feedback: the ACTH response was not reduced, and ApEn measures that are sensitive to feedback changes were comparable in both groups. Metyrapone disrupted cortisol secretory regularity in depressed and control subjects. On the baseline day, basal cortisol secretion was significantly increased and was highly irregular (high ApEn), and ACTH‐cortisol cross‐ApEn was markedly elevated in high‐cortisol patients. Conclusion: Classical feed‐forward overdrive and impaired feedback theories of hypercortisolemia in depression were not supported. Depressive hypercortisolemia may result from alternative pathophysiological mechanisms involving irregular basal hypersecretion of cortisol, associated with adrenal enlargement, possibly through splanchnic sympathetic activation of the adrenal cortex.     

The limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in Huntington's disease.

The functional integrity of the limbic-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (LHPA) axis was studied in 10 patients with Huntington's disease (HD) and 10 age- and weight-matched control subjects by measuring basal ACTH and cortisol secretion, analyzing the subjects' ACTH and cortisol responses to corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) challenge, and by means of the dexamethasone-suppression test (DST). Basal cortisol and ACTH levels were significantly higher in patients with HD compared with controls. Following CRH administration, ACTH responses tended to be blunted in concert with normal cortisol levels. Two patients with HD and one control subject were DST nonsuppressors. Post-DST plasma dexamethasone levels were 57% lower among patients compared with the control group. Only in the HD group age was there an important variable in influencing spontaneous cortisol secretion as well as plasma dexamethasone levels during DST. These results suggest that patients with HD have an endogenous CRH overdrive, possibly due to a loss of (GABA) gamma-aminobutyric acid-containing neurons, and that age might have an effect on the outcome of LHPA axis function tests in patients only.     

Silent mixed corticotroph and somatotroph macroadenomas presenting with pituitary apoplexy

We discuss three unique cases of pituitary macroadenoma presenting with pituitary hemorrhage but without typical endocrine symptomatology. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated positive reactivity for adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and growth hormone (GH), and in situ hybridization indicated the expression of proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and GH mRNA. We designated these cases silent mixed corticotroph and somatotroph adenoma. Patient 1 was a 30-year-old man, patient 2 was a 29-year-old woman, and patient 3 was a 59-year-old woman. All patients presented with a headache of sudden onset and visual disturbance. The patients did not exhibit typical Cushing's or acromegalic features. Serum ACTH level was remarkably elevated in patient 1, and slightly elevated in patients 2 and 3. In all patients, serum GH levels were within normal range and magnetic resonance imaging revealed an intra- and suprasellar mass with pituitary hemorrhage. Transnasal pituitary surgery in the three patients disclosed a pituitary adenoma producing ACTH and GH. In patient 2, the residual adenoma reappeared along with an intratumoral hemorrhage, and was resected by secondary transnasal surgery. Silent mixed corticotroph and somatotroph adenomas are characterized by the following: no endocrine symptoms; presentation dominated by mass effect symptoms; macroadenoma presenting with acute pituitary hemorrhage; and production of both ACTH and GH.     

垂体细胞增生所致库欣病术后复发的诊断和处理

目的讨论垂体细胞增生所致库欣病经蝶术后复发的诊断和处理。方法根据临床症状,内分泌学检查和蝶鞍区MRI检查,5例病人被诊断为垂体ACTH腺瘤而行经蝶手术,术后病理为垂体细胞增生。术后1例症状无改善,4例症状改善3～11个月后复发皮质醇增高为降低皮质醇例行垂体放疗和肾上腺切除术,。2,3例行肾上腺切除术。在肾上腺切除的例中例症状32再次复发复查,MRI发现垂体腺瘤并再次经蝶手术,术后病理为垂体腺瘤。结果随诊1～5年,行二次经蝶手术的2例病人皮质醇降至正常行垂体放疗和肾上腺切除术者因垂体功能低下用强的松替代治疗结论当垂体细胞增生病人术后症状复发影像学。检查发现垂体肿瘤时应再次经蝶手术没有发现垂体腺瘤时可行肾上腺切除和垂体放疗。     

经蝶窦显微外科手术治疗541例库欣病

目的 探讨经蝶窦入路显微外科手术治疗库欣病的疗效。方法 总结北京协和医院神经外科1981年至2007年收治的541例库欣病的临床资料。结果CT和（或）MRI显示微腺瘤、大腺瘤、巨大腺瘤和未见异常的比例分别为66.2％( 358/541)、14.0％( 76/541)、0.6％( 3/541)和19.2％(104/541)。病理为垂体ACTH腺瘤、增生和既未见肿瘤又未见增生的比例分别为75.4％(408/541)、8.3％ (45/541)和16.3％ (88/541)。病理明确腺瘤、增生以及病理阴性者术后近期（半年内）治愈率分别是85.0％( 347/408)、24.4％ (11/45)和45.5％(40/88)。随访0.5 -25.0年（平均3.1年）,复发率13.3％(53/398),复发时间0.5 -16.5年（平均3.4年）。结论 经蝶窦选择性垂体腺瘤切除加瘤周垂体组织大部分切除是治疗库欣病安全有效的首选方法。对首次手术无效或复发性库欣病,可以再次经蝶窦手术或垂体放疗。     

垂体ACTH腺瘤的诊断和治疗(附29例报告)

目的 分析和探讨垂体ACTH腺瘤的诊断和治疗。方法 对我科收治的29例垂体ACTH腺瘤患者的临床特点和治疗效果进行了回顾性分析。结果 垂体ACTH微腺瘤的诊断较为困难，有库欣氏综合征表现的患者，辅以血清ACTH、地塞米松抑制试验等并结合影像学资料方可确诊，经蝶手术切除肿瘤复发率仅为6．9％。结论 垂体ACTH腺瘤的诊断须依靠临床表现、实验室检查和影像学检查等。经蝶手术切除肿瘤是治疗垂体ACTH腺瘤的首选方法。     

Invasive Crooke cell adenoma in a patient with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Crooke cell adenoma (CCA) is an aggressive corticotroph subtype of pituitary adenoma often with cyclically elevated blood adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which preoperative diagnosis is challenging especially in the context of a functionally silent invasive tumor and a history of high-stage malignancy such as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Here, we report the first case of invasive CCA in a patient with DLBCL. A 71 year-old previously healthy man was recently diagnosed with DLBCL that was treated with CHOP-R chemotherapy. Within one week of completing his first cycle of chemotherapy, he had a frontal headache that progressed to right-sided proptosis. Cranial MRI showed a heterogeneously enhancing mass with invasion into the sellar and suprasellar compartment, compression of the optic chiasm, as well as extension into the clivus, bilateral cavernous sinuses, and the prepontine cistern. He underwent a partial resection for the pituitary tumor debulking. Pathological examination revealed CCA with invasion into the adjacent tissue. The patient had no history of Cushing disease or syndrome, but his blood ACTH was found to be elevated on the operation day. Our present case and literature review suggest that comorbidity of CCA or ACTH-producing adenoma and B-cell lymphoma deserves awareness in our clinical practice, as these two diseases and/or their therapies may interact substantially. CAA should be considered in the major differential diagnosis for an invasive sellar tumor, even without blood ACTH elevation and/or with a history of malignant lymphoma.     

Cushing's disease in a young woman with anorexia nervosa: pathophysiological implications

This report describes a 17-year old student who was found to have Cushing's syndrome two years after she had developed anorexia nervosa (AN). The Cushing's syndrome was treated with bilateral resection of enlarged, hyperplastic, non-tumorous adrenal glands. The diagnosis was further confirmed four years later when, two to three years after new symptoms had appeared, an ACTH secreting pituitary adenoma (that is, Cushing's disease) was found on surgery. The possible mechanism for the development of Cushing's disease in a patient with prior anorexia nervosa, a sequence of events reported once previously, is discussed. It is suggested that increased hypothalamic-pituitary corticotroph stimulation in association with the anorexia nervosa, a now well-established endocrine phenomenon, activated an occult, inactive pituitary basophil adenoma in this patient, eventually resulting in autonomous pituitary overproduction of ACTH by the tumor.     

垂体性库欣病经蝶手术治疗后的延迟缓解

目的探讨垂体性库欣病经蝶手术后延迟缓解的特征。方法回顾性分析119例垂体性库欣病病人的临床资料,均行经蝶手术。根据术后血、尿皮质醇水平分为即刻缓解组、延迟缓解组和不缓解组。结果即刻缓解组73例（61．4％）．延迟缓解组30例（25．2％）,不缓解组16例（13．4％）。免疫组织化学结果显示：促肾上腺皮质激素（ACTH）阳性的垂体腺瘤－96例,ACTH阴性的垂体腺瘤12例,ACTH阳性的结节性增生3例。所有病人随访（38．0±21．2）个月,延迟缓解组病人在术后（29．9±40．6）d皮质醇水平下降到正常范围;随访期间复发5例,均为延迟缓解组病人。结论垂体性库欣病部分病人术后会出现延迟缓解。术后早期单纯根据血皮质醇水平判断是否缓解并不完全可靠,是否再次手术治疗需谨慎考虑。     

The HPA axis response to insulin hypoglycemia in depression

Dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, demonstrated by failure to suppress cortisol secretion after dexamethasone, is found in approximately 50% of patients with major depression (MD). In this study, we examined the response of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol to insulin-induced hypoglycemia in 20 healthy controls and 18 inpatients with MD [12 dexamethasone suppressors (S) and 5 dexamethasone nonsuppressors (NS)]. After the administration of 0.15 U/kg of regular insulin, both controls and patients with MD showed an increase in plasma ACTH and cortisol levels. Controls had a significantly higher ACTH peak (p less than 0.01) and ACTH increment (p less than 0.01) than MD patients. There were no statistically significant differences between patients who were S and NS. Although baseline plasma cortisol levels were significantly higher in MD patients, there were no significant differences in the peak cortisol or increment in plasma cortisol after hypoglycemia between patients with MD and controls or between patients who were S and those who were NS. These findings suggest that a defect exists in the regulation of the HPA axis at the pituitary level in MD and that this defect is not necessarily reflected in the dexamethasone suppression status of the patient.