Adrenal Cushing's syndrome may resemble eating disorders.

We encountered a patient who presented extreme weight loss and received an eating disorder diagnosis that was later identified as adrenal Cushing's syndrome. A 32-year-old woman with a 2-year history of an eating disorder was admitted to our psychiatric ward due to dehydration, malnutrition and low weight. Her height and body weight were 152.1 cm and 29.8 kg, respectively (body mass index: 12.8). Her other symptoms included a depressed mood, decreased interest, retardation and suicidal ideation. Standard medical cares were prescribed to treat the depressive symptoms and eating disorder, but the depressive episode and low body weight of the patient persisted. Computed tomography of the abdomen revealed an unexpected left adrenal gland tumor. Cushing's syndrome was diagnosed based on several endocrinological examinations. After an enucleation of the left adrenal gland tumor, the patient began eating, and her body weight increased gradually. Her body weight increased to 42.0-47.0 kg (body mass index: 18.2-20.3). Her mental and physical conditions had stabilized. This case suggests that adrenal Cushing's syndrome may resemble eating disorders.

A new method of blood sampling reduces pain for newborn infants: a prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Using a new simple blood glucose measurement device (Free Style), blood can thus be sampled from the forearm, which is less sensitive to pain than from the heel. Measuring the blood glucose levels in newborn infants using Free Style is therefore a potentially less painful testing modality than traditional blood sampling methods. OBJECTIVE: To compare the pain intensity at the time of blood sampling from the forearm using the Free Style with the conventional method from the heel. DESIGN: A prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty healthy neonates were randomized by the sealed envelope method into two groups-Group F, in which blood was sampled from the forearm using the Free Style, and Group H, in which blood was conventionally sampled from the heel using a lancet. The pain intensity was assessed based on their crying, the Neonatal Facial Coding System (NFCS) and the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS). RESULTS: After skin puncture, 12 (40%) of the infants cried in Group F and 27 (90%) in Group H. The duration of crying was also significantly shorter in Group F than in Group H. Both of pain scores between the two groups differed significantly, these findings indicated less pain for Group F. CONCLUSION: The new blood sampling method from the forearm was found to be less painful than the conventional method, thus making it possible to clinically use this product as an innovative method for blood sampling in neonatal medicine.