Evaluation of a perioperative steroid coverage after pituitary surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Serum cortisol levels within the first days after pituitary surgery have been shown to be a predictor of post-surgical adrenal insufficiency. However, the indication of empirical glucocorticoids to avoid this complication remains controversial. The objective is to assess the role of cortisol in the early postoperative period as a predictor of long-term corticotropic function according to the pituitary perisurgical protocol with corticosteroid replacement followed in our center. METHODS: One hundred eighteen patients who underwent surgery in a single center between December 2012 and January 2020 for a pituitary adenoma were included. Of these, 54 patients with previous adrenal insufficiency (AI), Cushing's disease, or tumors that required treatment with high-dose glucocorticoids (GC) were excluded. A treatment protocol with glucocorticoids was established, consisting of its empirical administration at rapidly decreasing doses, and serum cortisol was determined on the third day after surgery. Subsequent adrenal status was assessed through follow-up biochemical and clinical evaluations. RESULTS: Out of the 64 patients treated, there were 56 macroadenomas and 8 microadenomas. The incidence of adrenal insufficiency after pituitary surgery was 4.7%. The optimal cut-off value that predicted an adequate corticotropic reserve, taking into account the best relationship of specificity and sensitivity, was ≥4.1 µg/dl for serum cortisol on the third day (sensitivity 95.1%, specificity 100%). CONCLUSION: Serum cortisol on the third day predicts the development of adrenal insufficiency. We suggest a cortisol cut-off point of ≥4.1 µg/dl on postoperative on the third day after surgery as a predictor of the adrenal reserve in the long-term.

Síndrome de Cushing dependiente de ACTH, un problema diagnóstico / ACTH-dependent Cushing syndrome: a diagnostic challenge

El síndrome de Cushing dependiente de ACTH supone aproximadamente el 80% de todos los síndromes de Cushing. Diferenciar el origen hipofisario del ectópico sigue siendo un problema diagnóstico en determinados casos, especialmente en los carcinoides bronquiales, ya que, aproximadamente, un 50% pueden presentar supresión de las concentraciones de cortisol tras dexametasona y suelen ser de pequeño tamaño y, por lo tanto, difíciles de detectar en la radiografía de tórax. Presentamos el caso de una paciente con síndrome de Cushing dependiente de ACTH, de difícil localización con las pruebas diagnósticas habituales (AU)

ACTH dependent Cushing syndrome accounts for approximately 80% of all Cushing syndrome. Distinguishing the pituitary origin from ectopic one is still a diagnosis problem in some cases, especially in bronchial carcinoids, because approximately 50% show cortisol suppresion after dexametasone and may be small and, therefore, difficult to detect in chest radiography. We present a case of a patient with ACTH dependent Cushing syndrome of difficult localization with usual diagnosis tests (AU)