title: An Atraumatic Symphysiolysis with a Unilateral Injured Sacroiliac Joint in a Patient with Cushing's Disease: A Loss of Pelvic Stability Related to Ligamentous Insufficiency?
abstract: Glucocorticoids are well known for altering bone structure and elevating fracture risk. Nevertheless, there are very few reports on pelvic ring fractures, compared to other bones, especially with a predominantly ligamentous insufficiency, resulting in a rotationally unstable pelvic girdle. We report a 39-year-old premenopausal woman suffering from an atraumatic symphysiolysis and disruption of the left sacroiliac joint. She presented with external rotational pelvic instability and immobilization. Prior to the injury, she received high-dose glucocorticoids for a tentative diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis over two months. This diagnosis was not confirmed. Other causes leading to the unstable pelvic girdle were excluded by several laboratory and radiological examinations. Elevated basal cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone levels were measured and subsequent corticotropin-releasing hormone stimulation, dexamethasone suppression test, and petrosal sinus sampling verified the diagnosis of adrenocorticotropic hormone-dependent Cushing's disease. The combination of adrenocorticotropic hormone-dependent Cushing's disease and the additional application of exogenous glucocorticoids is the most probable cause of a rare atraumatic rotational pelvic instability in a premenopausal patient. To the authors' knowledge, this case presents the first description of a rotationally unstable pelvic ring fracture involving a predominantly ligamentous insufficiency in the context of combined exogenous and endogenous glucocorticoid elevation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Trauma and Plastic Surgery, University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse 20, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Höch
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Trauma and Plastic Surgery, University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse 20, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, Grosse Steinstrasse 52, 06097 Halle (Saale), Germany.
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pieroh
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, Grosse Steinstrasse 52, 06097 Halle (Saale), Germany.
authors.forename: Faramarz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dehghani
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Trauma and Plastic Surgery, University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse 20, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Josten
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Trauma and Plastic Surgery, University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse 20, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Böhme