The 4Ds of ectopic ACTH syndrome: diagnostic dilemmas of a difficult disease

SUMMARY Cushing's syndrome (CS) is an uncommon condition that leads to high morbidity and mortality. The majority of endogenous CS is caused by excessive ACTH secretion, mainly due to a pituitary tumor - the so-called Cushing's disease (CD) - followed by ectopic ACTH syndrome (EAS), an extra-pituitary tumor that produces ACTH; adrenal causes of CS are even rarer. Several methods are used to differentiate the two main etiologies: specific laboratory tests and imaging procedures, and bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling (BIPSS) for ACTH determination; however, identification of the source of ACTH overproduction is often a challenge. We report the case of a 28-year-old woman with clinical and laboratory findings consistent with ACTH-dependent CS. All tests were mostly definite, but several confounding factors provoked an extended delay in identifying the origin of ACTH secretion, prompting a worsening of her clinical condition, with difficulty controlling hyperglycemia, hypokalemia, and hypertension. During this period, clinical treatment was decisive, and measurement of morning salivary cortisol was a differential for monitoring cortisol levels. This report shows that clinical reasoning, experience and use of recent methods of nuclear medicine were decisive for the elucidation of the case.

Carcinoma neuroendocrino de esófago: reporte de caso / Neoendocrine carcinoma of the esophagus: report of a case

El carcinoma neuroendocrino de esófago representa menos del 2% de casos de cáncer de esófago. Esta forma de presentación es extremadamente inusual, ya que este tipo de carcinoma se suele presentar con mayor frecuencia en zonas broncopulmonares. Los síntomas suelen asociarse a la obstrucción esofágica e incluyen odinofagia, disfagia y pérdida de peso, siendo infrecuente la clínica de síndrome carcinoide. Para el diagnóstico se requiere de uno o más de los siguientes marcadores de inmunohistoquímica positivos: cromogranina A, sinaptofisina o CD56 positivos, así como la presencia de los anticuerpos EMA y PANCK positivos. Se reporta el caso de un paciente varón con diagnóstico de tumor neuroendocrino de esófago.

Neuroendocrine carcinoma of esophagus represents less than 2% of cases of cancer of the esophagus. This presentation is extremely unusual, as this type of carcinoma typically presents with greater frequency in bronchopulmonary regions. The symptoms are usually associated with esophageal obstruction and include odynophagia, dysphagia and weight loss and are not usually associated with Carcinoid syndrome. The diagnosis requires one or more of the following positive immunohistochemical markers: Chromogranin A, synaptophysin or CD56 positive, as well as the presence of EMA and PANCK positive. We report the case of a male patient with diagnosis of neuroendocrine tumor of esophagus.

Carcinoma neuroendocrino de timo con enfermedad de pompe del adulto / Thymic neuroendocrine carcinoma with Pompe's disease of the adult

La enfermedad de Pompe (glucogenosis tipo II) es una enfermedad de depósito lisosomal, autosómica recesiva causada por una deficiencia de ácido alfa-glucosidasa. Los tumores neuroendocrinos tímicos son neoplasias primarias con diferenciación neuroendocrina que generalmente se presentan como una masa en el mediastino anterior. Ambas enfermedades se consideran raras en sí mismas. En nuestro conocimiento, la enfermedad de Pompe y un tumor neuroendocrino del timo en el mismo paciente no ha sido antes comunicada. No pudimos encontrar la plausibilidad biológica entre ambas enfermedades. Se necesitan más estudios para confirmar el hallazgo y para aumentar aún más nuestra comprensión de esta asociación. Los datos clínicos de los estudios epidemiológicos, los informes de casos, las series de casos y los pequeños ensayos clínicos abiertos o controlados pueden definir tanto la plausibilidad clínica como la causalidad entre las dos enfermedades.

Pompe disease (glycogenosis type II) is an inherited autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disease caused by a deficiency of acid alpha-glucosidase. Thymic neuroendocrine tumors, are primary thymic neoplasms with neuroendocrine differentiation that generally present as a mass within the anterior mediastinum. Both diseases are considered rare. To our knowledge the co-existence of Pompe disease and thymic neuroendocrine tumor in the same patient has not been previously reported. We could not find biological plausibility between both diseases. Further studies are needed to confirm the finding and to further increase our understanding of this association. Clinical data from epidemiological studies, case reports, case series and small formal open or controlled clinical trials may define both clinical plausibility and causality between the two conditions.

Rapid response of hypercortisolism to vandetanib treatment in a patient with advanced medullary thyroid cancer and ectopic Cushing syndrome

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) may rarely present with paraneoplastic syndromes. Among the most frequent ones are the appearance of diarrhea and ectopic Cushing syndrome (ECS). The ECS in the context of MTC is usually present in patients with distant metastatic disease. The use of drugs such as ketoconazole, metyrapone, somatostatin analogs and etomidate have been ineffective alternatives to control hypercortisolism in these patients. Bilateral adrenalectomy is often required to manage this situation. Recently, the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors has been shown to be a useful tool to achieve eucortisolism in patients with metastatic MTC and ECS. We present a patient with sporadic advanced persistent and progressive MTC with lymph node and liver metastases, which after 16 years of follow-up developed an ECS. After one month of 300 mg/day vandetanib treatment, a biochemical and clinical response of the ECS was achieved but it did not result in significant reduction of tumor burden. However the patient reached criteria for stable disease according to response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST 1.1) after 8 months of follow-up.

Carcinoma neuroendocrino de vejiga en mujer con infección por VIH: presentación del primer caso mundial / Neuroendocrine carcinome of the bladder in a female with HIV infection: presentation of the first case worldwide

El carcinoma neuroendocrino primario de vejiga es una neoplasia infrecuente que representa el 0,5por ciento de todos los tumores vesicales. La asociación de carcinoma neuroendocrino de vejiga en un paciente con infección por VIH nunca hasta hoy había sido descrita. Presentamos el primer caso clínico español y mundial de esta desconocida y nunca descrita asociación. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se presenta el caso clínico de una paciente de 46 años con infección por VIH que desarrolló un carcinoma neuroendocrino de vejiga urinaria de evolución fatal. Se describe su clínica de presentación, métodos de diagnóstico utilizados y su tratamiento. La paciente debutó con retención urinaria aguda que rápidamente progresó a la instauración de una uropatía obstructiva alta con deterioro de la función renal. El diagnóstico se efectuó mediante TAC, resección transuretral y estudio histopatológico donde la clave del diagnóstico fue el estudio inmunohistoquímico intensamente positivo para la cromogranina A. El tratamiento adyuvante con quimioterapia le ocasionó una aplasia medular severa, falleciendo por fallo multiórganico a los 26 días de su diagnóstico. A propósito de este caso, se revisa la literatura inglesa en PubMed sobre carcinoma neuroendocrino de vejiga y sobre tumores vesicales en pacientes con infección VIH, no existiendo ningún caso publicado de carcinoma neuroendocrino de vejiga en un paciente con infección por VIH. CONCLUSIONES: El carcinoma neuroendocrino de vejiga es un tumor infrecuente y muy agresivo. Es un tumor que suele presentarse clínicamente en estadios avanzados o metastásicos donde ninguna terapia es eficaz. El tratamiento incluye resección trans-uretral (RTU), cistectomía parcial, cistectomía radical y quimioterapia. El estudio inmunohistoquímico (IHQ) y la tinción con cromogranina A dan la clave para su diagnóstico. Su presentación en pacientes VIH implica muy mal pronóstico. Éste caso es el primer caso mundial publicado de carcinoma neuroendocrino...

The primary neuroendocrine carcinome of the bladder is an infrequent neoplasm which represents 0.5 percent of all vesical tumors. The association of neuroendocrine carcinome of the bladder in a patient with HIV infection has never been described before today. We present the first clinical case in the Spanish-speaking world and worldwide, of this unknown and never written about association. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The clinical case of a 46-yearoldpatient with HIV infection who developed a neuroendocrine carcinoma of the urinary bladder with a fatal evolution, its clinical presentation, the diagnosis methods used and its treatment, are described. The patient started with a severe urinary retention which rapidly progressed to the establishment of a high obstructive uropathy with deterioration in the renal function. The diagnosis was done using TAC, transurethral resection and histopathological study where the key to diagnosis was the intensely positive immunohistochemical study for the chromogranin A. The adjuvant treatment with chemotherapy led to a severe medular aplasia, with the patient dying due to a multi-organ failure, 26 days after her diagnosis. As a result of this case, English literature on the matter in PubMed about neuroendocrine carcinome of the bladder and about vesical tumors in patients with HIV infection was revised, with no published case existing about neuroendocrine carcinome in a patient with HIV. CONCLUSIONS: The neuroendocrine carcinome of the bladder is an infrequent and very aggressive tumor. It is a tumor that tends to be clinically present in advanced or metastasic states, where no therapy is efficient. The treatment includes transurethral resection (TUR), partial cystectomy, radical cystectomy and chemotherapy. The immunohistochemical study (IHC), and the stain with chromogranin A are key for its diagnosis. Its presentation in HIV patients implies a very bad prognosis. This case is the first published case worldwide of neuroendocrine...

Ectopic Cushing's syndrome caused by a pulmonary ACTH-secreting tumor in a patient treated with octreotide / Síndrome de Cushing ectópico causado por um tumor pulmonar secretor de ACTH em tratamento com octreotide

Ectopic ACTH syndrome is a rare disease often associated with severe hypercortisolism. When feasible, optimal management is surgical excision of the tumor. A 33-year-old male patient was admitted to the hospital in 1993 with clinical manifestations suggestive of Cushing's syndrome. He presented high plasma ACTH and markedly elevated urinary free cortisol excretion that was not suppressed with high-dose dexamethasone administration. Pituitary MRI scan was normal. No central-to-peripheral ACTH gradient was present in bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling. Thoracic CT scan showed a 1.7 cm nodule at the left lung. Pulmonary fine needle cytology and immunocytochemical and ultrastructural studies, together with the presence of bone metastases, led to the diagnosis of an ACTH-producing neuroendocrine carcinoma. He was initially submitted to chemotherapy and has been on treatment with octreotide LAR since 1998, having shown a favorable clinical, biochemical and imaging response. We highlight the excellent long-term response to medical therapy with octreotide LAR, without tachyphylaxis, probably due to its antiproliferative effect.

A secreção ectópica de ACTH é uma síndrome rara associada habitualmente à hipercortisolemia grave. A remoção cirúrgica do tumor é o tratamento de primeira linha, sempre que seja exequível. Homem com 33 anos, internado em 1993 com manifestações clínicas sugestivas de síndrome de Cushing, apresentava valores elevados de ACTH plasmática e excreção urinária de cortisol livre muito aumentada, sem supressão na prova com dose alta de dexametasona; RM hipofisária sem alterações; cateterismo bilateral dos seios petrosos inferiores sem gradiente central-periférico de ACTH. A CT de tórax mostrou um nódulo de 1,7 cm no pulmão esquerdo. O diagnóstico de carcinoma neuroendócrino produtor de ACTH foi feito com base nos resultados citológico, imunocitoquímico e ultraestrutural, juntamente com a presença de metástases ósseas. Foi inicialmente submetido à quimioterapia e encontra-se em tratamento com octreotide LAR desde 1998, apresentando resposta clínica, bioquímica e imagiológica favorável. Destacamos a excelente resposta a longo prazo à terapêutica com octreotide LAR, sem taquifilaxia, provavelmente devido ao seu efeito antiproliferativo.

Composite epithelial kidney tumor comprising of adeno and neuroendocrine carcinomatous components: An unusual variant of renal cell carcinoma.

Renal cell carcinomas accounts for an approximately 2% of human malignancies with atleast ten different histological subtypes recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) 2004 classification. Composite carcinomas with dual divergent epithelial differentiation in kidneys are extremely uncommon. We report an unusual case of a 37-year-old female who presented with symptoms related to renal tumor for the last three years. Computed tomography scan revealed a large heterogenously contrast enhancing left kidney mass comprising of two distinct histological components of low grade adenocarcinomatous and carcinoid-like low grade neuroendocrine carcinomas with presence of hilar lymph nodal metastases of both the components. The component of adenocarcinoma was immunoreactive to E-cadherin, cytokeratins 7 and 19 with negativity for cluster of differentiation 10, cytokeratin 20, CD117, and vimentin; while the neuroendocrine component was immunoreactive for vimentin, chromogranin and synaptophysin with negativity for CD10, CD117, and cytokeratins 7, 19 and 20. MIB-1 labeling index in the both the components was 2-3%. The present case is the first of its kind to be reported in the kidney and emphasizes the diversity potential of kidney tumors.

Peri-ampullary collision tumor - high grade neuroendocrine carcinoma and signet ring cell carcinoma: A case report and review of literature.

We report a case of 50-year-old male with obstructive jaundice diagnosed as peri-ampullary collision tumor comprising of large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma and signet ring cell carcinoma. The association of neuroendocrine (usually carcinoids) and adenocarcinoma is extremely uncommon with only few case reports available in the reported literature.

Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Sigmoid Colon / 대한소화기학회지

No abstract available.