title: A Small Solitary Pulmonary Nodule Discovered by (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography and CT: Rare Infection Instead of Rare Tumor.
abstract: THE causes of Cushing's syndrome are mainly divided into adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) dependent and independent. ACTH dependent hypercortisolism represents excess ACTH se-creting by the pituitary or tumor outside the pituitary; and the latter one is also called as ectopic ACTH syndrome. Thorax is the most common location of causative lesions for ectopic ACTH syndrome, and the size of lesion is too small to be detected in some cases.1, 2 Cryptococcal pneumonia usually occurs in immunocompromised patients and excess cortisol production can theoretically produce a state of immunodeficiency. Development of cryptococcal pneumonia concomitant with Cushing syndrome (CS) was rare. Here, we report a case of pulmonary nodule in a patient with CS differentiated with ectopic ACTH-producing tumor. Cryptococcal pneumonia was diagnosed following lung resection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China.
authors.forename: Da-Ming
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hua-Dan
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Lian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Ji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Nai-Shi
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zheng-Yu
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D000182:ACTH Syndrome, Ectopic; D003480:Cushing Syndrome; D006801:Humans; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D003074:Solitary Pulmonary Nodule; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed