Bilateral adrenalectomy: lifesaving procedure in severe Cushing syndrome

Laparoscopic transabdominal anterior bilateral adrenalectomy (La-TABA): an alternative approach for severe Cushing's syndrome

Severe uncontrolled Cushing's syndrome (CS) is an acute life-threatening condition. As it is often not responsive to medical therapy, emergency bilateral adrenalectomy (BA) may present the only therapeutic option. Moreover, multiple bone fractures, representing one of the clinical consequences of hypercortisolism, may not permit both prone and lateral patient's positioning during surgery, thus making minimally invasive approaches nonfeasible. We report our preliminary experience with an alternative approach in this selected patients' category. Among 613 patients who underwent endoscopic adrenalectomy at our centre (34-5.6% BA) between January 1997 and October 2021, 3 patients were scheduled for laparoscopic transabdominal anterior bilateral adrenalectomy (La-TABA). Surgery was performed with patient in supine position, with fastened arms and legs to allow Trendelenburg and anti-Trendelenburg movements and lateral rotations. The procedure consisted in a synchronous bilateral adrenalectomy. A modern multi-articulated operative table provided rotations on the right and left side to perform left and right adrenalectomy, respectively. One male and two female patients with a mean age of 34 ± 3.1 years underwent La-TABA. Mean operative time was 200 ± 138.3 min. No perioperative complications were registered. Mean postoperative hospital stay was 8 ± 4.4 days. In very severe ACTH-dependent CS, BA should be performed as soon as possible. La-TABA may represent the most appropriate therapeutic option, as this patients' category is not able to tolerate prone and lateral positioning required during the conventional surgery. Despite the higher technical complexity of the procedure compared with the other endoscopic approaches to adrenalectomy, it retains the benefits of minimally invasive surgery in terms of postoperative complications and recovery.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone-Secreting Esthesioneuroblastoma with Ectopic Cushing's Syndrome

Esthesioneuroblastoma as a source of ectopic Cushing's syndrome is rare, and to the best of our knowledge, only 20 cases have been reported worldwide. A 46-year-old healthy man visited a local clinic for general weakness and hyposmia, and underwent examination with serial endocrinological workup and brain imaging. ⁶⁸Gallium-DOTA-TOC positron emission tomography scan was helpful where diagnosis of sellar MRI and inferior petrosal sinus sampling were discordant. Combined transcranial and endoscopic endonasal approach surgery was performed, and a diagnosis of esthesioneuroblastoma was given.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone-Dependent Cushing Syndrome Caused by an Olfactory Neuroblastoma

Olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB) is an unusual malignant neoplasm originating from the olfactory neuroepithelium. Secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from this tumor has been exceptionally reported. We describe a young man with resistant hypertension and a cushingoid phenotype. After hormonal confirmation of an ACTH-dependent Cushing syndrome, non-invasive dynamic tests were carried out to evaluate the cause of the ACTH source. Plasma cortisol decrease after a high-dose dexamethasone suppression test and cortisol increase after a desmopressin (DDAVP) stimulation test suggested a Cushing disease. A magnetic resonance image (MRI) of the brain and an Indium-111 octreotide scan revealed a large mass centered in the sphenoid sinus with lateral and posterior extension. An ACTH secreting ONB was confirmed with a trasnasal biopsy. Patient was offered a combined therapy with surgical resection and radiotherapy but refused surgery. The neoplasm was treated with neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy followed by fractionated radiotherapy. Hypercortisolism initially improved with metyrapone but normocortisolism was only achieved after local control of the tumor with radiotherapy. Clinical presentation of ONB is usually related to local symptoms (as nasal obstruction and epistaxis) dependent on its ubication and extension. Cushing syndrome from ACTH production is a rare manifestation of ONB. This case also underlies the difficulties related to the interpretation of dynamic endocrine tests in Cushing syndrome.

Ectopic Cushing syndrome: Report of 9 cases

INTRODUCTION

Ectopic Cushing's syndrome (ECS) is a rare condition caused by ACTH secretion by extrapituitary tumors. Its low frequency makes it difficult to acquire experience in its management. The aim of this study was to describe patients with ECS seen at the endocrinology department of a tertiary hospital over 15 years.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study of the clinical, biochemical and radiographic data, treatment, and course of patients with ECS seen from 2000 to 2015.

RESULTS

Nine patients (6 of them female) with a mean age of 47 years were included in the study. The clinical syndrome developed in less than 3 months in all cases but one, and most patients also had edema, hyperpigmentation and/or hypokalemia. Mean urinary free cortisol and ACTH levels were 2,840μg/24h and 204pg/mL respectively. The ectopic origin was confirmed by a combination of dynamic non-invasive tests and radiographic studies in most cases. The tumor responsible could be identified in 8 cases, and 7 patients had metastatic dissemination. Primary treatment was surgery in one patient, surgery combined with systemic therapy in 3, and chemotherapy in the other 3 patients. Bilateral adrenalectomy was required in 4 patients to control hypercortisolism. After a mean follow-up of 40 months, 3 patients died, 5 were still alive, and one had been lost to follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study confirms that ECS covers a wide spectrum of tumors of different aggressiveness and nature. The ectopic origin of Cushing's syndrome can usually, be suspected and confirmed in most cases without the need for invasive tests. Control of both hypercortisolism and the tumor requires multiple treatment modalities, and multidisciplinary management is recommended.

Severe Cushing's syndrome due to small cell prostate carcinoma: a case and review of literature

Cushing's syndrome (CS) due to ectopic adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) is associated with a variety of tumours most of which arise in the thorax or abdomen. Prostate carcinoma is a rare but important cause of rapidly progressive CS. To report a case of severe CS due to ACTH production from prostate neuroendocrine carcinoma and summarise previous published cases. A 71-year-old male presented with profound hypokalaemia, oedema and new onset hypertension. The patient reported two weeks of weight gain, muscle weakness, labile mood and insomnia. CS due to ectopic ACTH production was confirmed with failure to suppress cortisol levels following low- and high-dose dexamethasone suppression tests in the presence of a markedly elevated ACTH and a normal pituitary MRI. Computed tomography demonstrated an enlarged prostate with features of malignancy, confirmed by MRI. Subsequent prostatic biopsy confirmed neuroendocrine carcinoma of small cell type and conventional adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Adrenal steroidogenesis blockade was commenced using ketoconazole and metyrapone. Complete biochemical control of CS and evidence of disease regression on imaging occurred after four cycles of chemotherapy with carboplatin and etoposide. By the sixth cycle, the patient demonstrated radiological progression followed by recurrence of CS and died nine months after initial presentation. Prostate neuroendocrine carcinoma is a rare cause of CS that can be rapidly fatal, and early aggressive treatment of the CS is important. In CS where the cause of EAS is unable to be identified, a pelvic source should be considered and imaging of the pelvis carefully reviewed.

PET imaging in ectopic Cushing syndrome: a systematic review

Cushing syndrome due to endogenous hypercortisolism may cause significant morbidity and mortality. The source of excess cortisol may be adrenal, pituitary, or ectopic. Ectopic Cushing syndrome is sometimes difficult to localize on conventional imaging like CT and MRI. After performing a multilevel thoracoabdominal imaging with CT, the evidence regarding the use of radiotracers for PET imaging is unclear due to significant molecular and etiological heterogeneity of potential causes of ectopic Cushing's syndrome. In our systematic review of literature, it appears that GalLium-based (Ga68) somatostatin receptor analogs have better sensitivity in diagnosis of bronchial carcinoids causing Cushing syndrome and FDG PET appears superior for small-cell lung cancers and other aggressive tumors. Further large-scale studies are needed to identify the best PET tracer for this condition.

Conventional and Nuclear Medicine Imaging in Ectopic Cushing's Syndrome: A Systematic Review

CONTEXT

Ectopic Cushing's Syndrome (ECS) can be a diagnostic challenge with the hormonal source difficult to find. This study analyzes the accuracy of imaging studies in ECS localization.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

Systematic review of medical literature for ECS case series providing individual patient data on at least one conventional imaging technique (computed tomography [CT]/magnetic resonance imaging) and one of the following: 111In-pentetreotide (OCT), 131I/123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine, 18Ffluoro-2-deoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET), 18F-fluorodopa-PET (F-DOPA-PET), 68Ga- DOTATATE-PET/CT or 68Ga-DOTATOC-PET/CT scan (68Gallium-SSTR-PET/CT).

EVIDENCE SUMMARY

The analysis comprised 231 patients (females, 50.2%; age, 42.617 y). Overall, 52.4%(121/231) had "overt" ECS,18.6% had "occult" ECS, and 29% had "covert" ECS. Tumors were located in the lung (55.3%), mediastinum-thymus (7.9%), pancreas (8.5%), adrenal glands (6.4%), gastrointestinal tract (5.4%), thyroid (3.7%), and other sites (12.8%), and primary tumors were mostly bronchial neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) (54.8%), pancreatic NETs (8%), mediastinum-thymus NETs (6.9%), gastrointestinal NETs (5.3%), pheochromocytoma (6.4%), neuroblastoma (3.2%), and medullary thyroid carcinoma (3.2%). Tumors were localized byCTin66.2%(137/207), magnetic resonance imaging in 51.5% (53/103), OCT in 48.9% (84/172), FDG-PET in 51.7% (46/89), F-DOPAPET in 57.1% (12/21), 131/123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine in 30.8% (4/13), and 68Gallium-SSTRPET/CT in 81.8% (18/22) of cases. Molecular imaging discovered 79.1% (53/67) of tumors unidentified by conventional radiology, with OCT the most commonly used, revealing the tumor in 64%, followed by FDG-PET in 59.4%. F-DOPA-PET was used in only seven covert cases (sensitivity, 85.7%). Notably, 68Gallium-SSTR-PET/CT had 100% sensitivity among covert cases.

CONCLUSIONS

Nuclear medicine improves the sensitivity of conventional radiology when tumor site identification is problematic. OCT offers a good availability/reliability ratio, and FDG-PET was proven useful. 68Gallium-SSTR-PET/CT use was infrequent, despite offering the highest sensitivity.

Paraneoplastic syndromes in olfactory neuroblastoma

Olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB) is a rare malignant neoplasm of sinonasal tract, derived from olfactory epithelium. Unilateral nasal obstruction, epistaxis, sinusitis, and headaches are common symptoms. Olfactory neuroblastoma shows neuroendocrine differentiation and similarly to other neuroendocrine tumors can produce several types of peptic substances and hormones. Excess production of these substances can be responsible for different types of endocrinological paraneoplastic syndromes (PNS). Moreover, besides endocrinological, in ONB may also occur neurological PNS, caused by immune cross-reactivity between tumor and normal host tissues in the nervous system. Paraneoplastic syndromes in ONB include: syndrome of inappropriate ADH secretion (SIADH), ectopic ACTH syndrome (EAS), humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy (HHM), hypertension due to catecholamine secretion by tumor, opsoclonus-myoclonus-ataxia (OMA) and paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration. Paraneoplastic syndromes in ONB tend to have atypical features, therefore diagnosis may be difficult. In this review, we described initial symptoms, patterns of presentation, treatment and outcome of paraneoplastic syndromes in ONB, reported in the literature.

Anesthetic management of emergent laparoscopic bilateral adrenalectomy in a patient with a life-threatening cortisol crisis

Cushing syndrome may rarely present with life-threatening hypercortisolism, manifested by hypertension, hypokalemia, hyperglycemia, and edema. If medical treatment proves ineffective in ameliorating the symptoms, emergent rescue adrenalectomy may be the only way to relieve the crisis. We describe the anesthetic management of a patient with an ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting tumor, whose condition was rapidly deteriorating due to severe cortisol excess, and emergent adrenalectomy was the only available therapeutic modality. Despite severe metabolic derangement, edema, and incipient respiratory failure, emergent bilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy was performed and the patient improved sufficiently to undergo surgery for the ectopic lesion without incident.