Early postoperative evaluation in patients with Cushing's disease: usefulness of ovine corticotropin-releasing hormone test in the prediction of recurrence of disease

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of ACTH (Corticotropin) and CRH (Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone), published as a clinical trial.

At an early postoperative evaluation, while off substitutive therapy, 30 patients, out of 36 treated by pituitary microsurgery for Cushing's disease, were considered in remission on the basis of subnormal (21 patients), low-normal (eight patients) or normal (one patient) morning plasma and urinary cortisol levels, whereas six patients with supranormal urinary cortisol excretion were considered as surgical failures.

The plasma ACTH response to oCRH was subnormal (17 patients) or normal (four patients) in 21 patients (Group 1) and supranormal in nine patients (Group 2).

Who Took Part

The abstract describes 30 patients taking part.

The age groups tagged for this paper are teenagers, adults and middle-aged adults, both men and women.

What Was Measured

At an early postoperative evaluation, while off substitutive therapy, 30 patients, out of 36 treated by pituitary microsurgery for Cushing's disease, were considered in remission on the basis of subnormal (21 patients), low-normal (eight patients) or normal (one patient) morning plasma and urinary cortisol levels, whereas six patients with supranormal urinary cortisol excretion were considered as surgical failures.

The subject headings attached to it are Adrenocorticotropic Hormone, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone, Cushing Syndrome, Dexamethasone, Hydrocortisone, Pituitary Gland and Postoperative Period.

What This Means in Plain Language

This is a clinical trial of ACTH (Corticotropin) and CRH (Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone) in 30 patients.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The publication is from 1994 (European journal of endocrinology), a journal based in England.

More context: the ACTH (Corticotropin) compound page and the CRH (Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone) compound page, all human trials.