[Thymic carcinoid tumor revealed by a Cushing's syndrome: usefulness of positron emission tomography].
Ectopic adrenocorticotropic (ACTH) syndrome is a rare condition, generally due to lung or carcinoid tumors. 18-fluorodeoxy-glucose positron emission tomography ((18)FDG-PET) can be useful where conventional localization techniques often fail. A 50-year-old man presented with sudden diffuse oedema, hypokaliemic alkalosis, Diabetes mellitus and high serum levels of ACTH and cortisol. Ectopic ACTH syndrome was confirmed leading to ketoconazole treatment. Chest-computed tomography only revealed an aspecific anterior mediastinal nodule that was hypermetabolic on the whole body-(18)FDG-PET. A thymic tumor was suspected and the patient had a thymectomy that revealed an atypical carcinoid tumor with pleural carcinosis. The postoperative course was favorable with clinical and biochemical remission of neoplastic Cushing's syndrome.
Gomard-Mennesson
E
E
Service de médecine interne, Hôtel-Dieu, 1, place de l'Hôpital, 69288 Lyon cedex 02, France. emeline.mennesson@chu-lyon.fr
Sève
P
P
De La Roche
E
E
Collardeau-Frachon
S
S
Lombard-Bohas
C
C
Broussolle
C
C
D002276:Carcinoid Tumor / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003480:Cushing Syndrome / Q000209:etiology*; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18