Miguel Saraiva, Raquel da Inez Correia, Sérgio Xavier Azevedo, José Ricardo Brandão, José Carlos Oliveira, Isabel Palma
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Adrenocortical carcinoma is a very rare endocrinopathy that has a poor prognosis and is frequently associated with ACTH-independent Cushing's syndrome. Despite having an adrenocortical carcinoma, our patient surprisingly had an ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome.
Case report: A 26-year-old female presented with Cushing's syndrome and an abdominal mass. Imaging studies revealed an adrenal mass consistent with a high-grade malignancy. Laboratory workup showed hypercortisolism, hyperandrogenism, and hypokalemia with normal levels of metanephrines. Unexpectedly, her ACTH levels were remarkably elevated. The pathological analysis of a tumor sample was conclusive for adrenocortical carcinoma with immunopositivity for ACTH.
Conclusions: Our patient suffered from an adrenocortical carcinoma that was ectopically producing ACTH. This case emphasizes that physicians should have a broad-minded approach when evaluating cases of rare endocrine malignancies.
期刊介绍:
As the official publication of the National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, the Journal of the Egyptian National Cancer Institute (JENCI) is an open access peer-reviewed journal that publishes on the latest innovations in oncology and thereby, providing academics and clinicians a leading research platform. JENCI welcomes submissions pertaining to all fields of basic, applied and clinical cancer research. Main topics of interest include: local and systemic anticancer therapy (with specific interest on applied cancer research from developing countries); experimental oncology; early cancer detection; randomized trials (including negatives ones); and key emerging fields of personalized medicine, such as molecular pathology, bioinformatics, and biotechnologies.