Outcome of CRH stimulation test and overnight 8 mg dexamethasone suppression test in 469 patients with ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate diagnostic accuracy of the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) stimulation test and the overnight 8 mg dexamethasone suppression test (DST) for the differentiation of Cushing's disease (CD) and ectopic Cushing's syndrome (ECS).

METHODS

Retrospective study in 6 European centers. Inclusion criteria: patients with a) overt adrenocorticotropin (ACTH)-dependent Cushing's syndrome at the time of dynamic testing, b) histopathological confirmed tumors and/or c) postoperative biochemical remission and/or adrenal insufficiency. Optimal cut-offs were calculated via receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis using CD as reference.

RESULTS

469 patients were analyzed [78% females; median age 43 years (IQR 19)]. CRH test and overnight 8 mg DST were performed in 420 [CD, n=394 (94%); ECS, n=26 (6%)] and 237 patients [228 CD (96%), 9 ECS (4%)]. Both tests were performed in 205 patients (44%). The post-CRH %-increase at 30 minutes of both ACTH (cut-off ≥31%, sensitivity 83%, specificity 85%, AUC 0.81) and cortisol (cut-off ≥12%, sensitivity 82%, specificity 89%, AUC 0.86) discriminated best between CD and ECS. A test duration of >60 minutes did not improve diagnostic performance of the CRH test. The optimal cortisol cut-off for the %-suppression during the 8 mg DST was ≥55% (sensitivity 80%, specificity 78%, AUC 0.75).

CONCLUSION

The CRH test has equivalent sensitivity but higher specificity than the 8 mg DST and is therefore the test of first choice. The diagnostic outcome of ACTH and cortisol is well comparable, however, sampling beyond 60 minutes post-CRH does not provide diagnostic benefits.

[Neuro-Ophthalmological Considerations on Meningiomas of the Anterior Visual Pathways]

Meningiomas are slow growing tumours, usually becoming symptomatic with visual loss or diplopia, or they are found incidentally. Not all meningiomas need to be treated. Treatment consists of neuro-surgical removal or radiotherapy if surgery is not possible. Whether a meningioma of the anterior visual pathways needs to be treated is mainly determined by the ophthalmological state. This must also include assessment of the prognosis by evaluation of the clinical findings and OCT scanning. This contribution is intended as an overview of all relevant factors with meningiomas of the anterior visual pathways. It is mainly based on the authors' own experiences.

Surgical technique and validation of outcome assessment in sagittal synostosis

BACKGROUND

Aim of the study was to evaluate the outcome of children operated for sagittal synostosis, with special attention paid to the postoperative aesthetic result, as seen from the parents' and the treating medical doctors' perspective, and to assess the time point for operative correction.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review of 87 patients operated over 15 years was performed. Data included age at the time of operation, perioperative complications, duration of hospital stay, intraoperative blood loss, transfusion volume, neurological outcome, and postoperative skull growth. Aesthetic outcome was assessed at 6, 12 and 18 months after surgery separately by the treating medical team and the children's parents.

RESULTS

Sagittal synostosis was diagnosed in 98.9% of cases in the first six months of life. We performed the same operative technique in all children with bilateral total removal of parietal bones. The median age at operation was 5 months. There was no correlation between age at the time of operation and blood loss (p<0.602). 5.7% of the children presented with significant postoperative skull asymmetries. All of these children had undergone operation in the first four months of life (p<0.01). The evaluation of the postoperative aesthetic outcome as seen by parents and doctors was highly convergent, with 79.3% of children in the excellent or good outcome group

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that the feasible time period for the method used by us is around the 5th - 6th month of life, with satisfying results. With regard to the aesthetic outcome assessment we recommend our approach using validation by parents as a valuable new principle.

Spontaneous Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea in Untreated Macroprolactinoma - an Indication for Primary Surgical Therapy

BACKGROUND

Medical therapy is usually indicated as first-line treatment for prolactinomas. Surgery is generally reserved as second-line therapy if prolactinomas are non-responsive to dopamine agonists (DA) or DA therapy is not tolerated. Herein, we draw attention to the rare occurrence of spontaneous CSF rhinorrhea in prolactinomas requiring primary surgical therapy. Only 8 cases of confirmed prolactinomas with spontaneous rhinorrhea have been reported in the literature so far.

CASE REPORTS

Two out of 267 surgical cases with pituitary adenomas presented with spontaneous rhinorrhea. Both patients harbored invasive prolactinomas. In both cases, the defect was exposed using a transsphenoidal procedure and was sealed with fascia lata.

RESULTS

Urgent surgical repair of the leak prevented meningitis. In one case, a second operation was required due to recurrent rhinorrhea under postoperative dopamine-agonist therapy of the residual tumor. The clinical course was otherwise uncomplicated.

CONCLUSION

Certain clinical settings still require primary surgical therapy of prolactinomas. Spontaneous rhinorrhea caused by invasive macroprolactinomas represents a mandatory indication for initial surgery. Early detection and surgical repair of a CSF leak is crucial for a favorable clinical outcome.