Atypical clinical course of Cushing's disease
Altashina, M.V.; Troshina, E.A.; Molashenko, N.V.; Butrova, C.A.; Vorontsov, A.V.; Sitkin, I.I.
Klinicheskaia Meditsina 90(5): 67-71
2012
ISSN/ISBN: 0023-2149 PMID: 22993957 Document Number: 658985
Endogenous hypercorticism is a severe endocrine disease with clinical symptoms resulting from long-term action of corticosteroids. In this country, conditions caused by the excess pituitary ACTH production are called Itsenko-Cushing disease. In the absence of adequate treatment, half of the patients die within 5 years after the onset of the disease. Correct diagnosis prior to the development of severe complications significantly improves its prognosis and patients' quality of life. It is generally believed that endogenous hypercorticosm must be accompanied by pathognomonic symptoms that may be helpful in establishing the diagnosis. However, certain patients present with non-specific symptoms of little diagnostic value. We report a case of Itsenko-Cushing disease lacking in specific symptoms of hypercorticism.