Differences in secretion characteristics in Cushing's disease with and without radiologically evident pituitary tumors.
In a group of 22 unselected patients with Cushing's disease 3 had a moderately enlarged pituitary fossa, while 6 patients showed asymmetry of the sella turcica at lateral tomography. This group of 9 patients with radiologically evident pituitary adenomas had:i) a higher average basal urinary excretion of 17-hydroxycorticosteroids which showed a greater day to day variation;ii) a greater (although insufficient) decrease of plasma cortisol in response to a single oral dose of 1 mg dexamethasone and larger postdexamethasone rebound excretion of urinary 17-hydroxycorticosteroids after 8 mg dexamethasone daily for two days; and iii) a larger maximal increase of plasma cortisol after lysine vasopressin administration than the other 13 patients. The increase in the size of a pituitary (micro-) adenoma in patients with Cushing's disease is accompanied by a more severe hypercortisolism and an increased responsiveness of the pituitary-adrenal axis to the manipulations mentioned.
D015065:17-Hydroxycorticosteroids / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine; D000236:Adenoma / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000652:urine; D000293:Adolescent; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D003404:Creatinine / Q000378:metabolism; D003480:Cushing Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000652:urine; D003907:Dexamethasone; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism; D008236:Lypressin; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000652:urine; D011859:Radiography
D015065:17-Hydroxycorticosteroids; D008236:Lypressin; D003907:Dexamethasone; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003404:Creatinine; D006854:Hydrocortisone