Cushing's syndrome induced by bronchopulmonary carcinoid tumours: a review of 98 cases and our experience of two cases.
Bronchopulmonary carcinoids are one of the most common cause of ectopic secretion of corticotropin (ACTH) and account for approximately 1% of all the patients in whom Cushing's syndrome develops. We reviewed 98 cases described in the World Literature and we report on two new cases. A 60-year old woman affected by Cushing's syndrome underwent to surgical wedge resection of a peripheral pulmonary nodule and a 30-year old woman with similar clinical features underwent to middle lobectomy for a small hilar neoplasm. Histopathologic examination of the tumours defined them as typical bronchopulmonary carcinoids. The patients are asymptomatic and with no sign of recurrence 72 and 30 months after surgery. According to our review we found no clear evidence that bronchial carcinoids associated with Cushing's syndrome should be considered a more aggressive variant or subtype of the typical carcinoid. If Cushing's syndrome does not disappear after surgery, the presence of residual disease (often a nodal involvement) should be investigated. A long-term relapse of the syndrome requires a careful search for local or distant neoplastic recurrence.
Scanagatta
Paolo
P
Dipartimento di Scienze Chirurgiche e Gastroenterologiche, Cattedra di Chirurgia Generale, Scuola di Specializzazione in Chirurgia Toracica, Università degli Studi di Verona.
Montresor
Ettore
E
Pergher
Sonia
S
Mainente
Maurizio
M
Bonadiman
Cinzia
C
Benato
Cristiano
C
Feil
Birgit
B
Destefanis
Maria L
ML
Pea
Maurizio
M
Spinoso
Antonio
A
Scilanga
Lucia
L
Francia
Giuseppe
G
D000328:Adult; D001984:Bronchial Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D002276:Carcinoid Tumor / Q000150:complications*; D003480:Cushing Syndrome / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / Q000150:complications*