Cushing’s Syndrome

Bilateral endoscopic adrenalectomy for Cushing's syndrome in a patient with polycystic liver and kidney disease

Microadenomectomy via a transsphenoidal approach is today's treatment of choice to achieve normal cortisol blood levels in patients with ACTH-secreting pituitary tumors. Should neurosurgery fail, bilateral adrenalectomy is recommended. Today the endoscopic, transabdominal or retroperitoneal adrenalectomy is regarded as the gold standard for the operation of endocrine-active adrenal tumors. Therefore, in principle, the question of the indication for the endoscopic operation no longer arises but only the question of the technical feasibility in individual cases. We report on a patient with a pituitary-dependent Cushing's syndrome after a twice-repeated unsuccessful transsphenoidal adenomectomy and with additional polycystic kidney and liver disease, who underwent bilateral retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy. Despite the massive enlargement of both kidneys, it was possible to safely perform a bilateral retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy. In the case of marked bilateral cystic kidneys, a bilateral retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy in Cushing's syndrome is technical possible and a safe and effective method of treatment.

Is routine ipsilateral adrenalectomy during radical nephrectomy harmful for the patient?

To investigate the effects of unilateral adrenalectomy on the postoperative course and laboratory parameters, 40 patients with a renal tumour were randomized either to undergo (n = 20) or not to undergo (n = 20) ipsilateral adrenalectomy. Adrenal hormone (cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine and aldosterone), adrenocorticotropic hormone, electrolyte, creatinine, growth hormone, glucose, insulin and free fatty acid concentrations were measured preoperatively and postoperatively. Cortisol and epinephrine concentrations were elevated immediately after the operation but returned to preoperative levels within the first 2 postoperative days. There were no significant differences between the adrenalectomy and non-adrenalectomy groups, except that the cortisol concentration was higher in the latter in the afternoon of the day of surgery. The conclusion is that no long-term shortage of adrenal hormones is caused by unilateral adrenalectomy. Other metabolic and endocrine responses were identical in the groups. Thus ipsilateral adrenalectomy does not seem to be harmful to the patient and the need for it must be resolved on the basis of local tumour factors.

Role of bilateral adrenalectomy in Cushing's disease

Of 206 patients with Cushing's syndrome observed from 1975 through 1991, 144 (69.9%) had pituitary-dependent Cushing's disease. Of the 110 patients who underwent pituitary surgery, 31 (28%) developed an early recurrence and 23 patients (20%) had a late relapse 1 to 5 years after primary pituitary exploration. We performed a one- or two-step total bilateral adrenalectomy in 43 patients-9 men and 34 (79.4%) women, with an average age of 47.5 years (range 13-58 years). Thirty-three of these patients had already been treated by previous transsphenoidal surgery or alternatively by external pituitary irradiation over a period of 1 to 10 years prior to adrenal surgery. Thirty-one patients underwent adrenalectomy by a double lumbar access or left lumbar and right subcostal incisions. In our series of 55 operations, perioperative complications included two splenectomies and two hemorrhages (7.3%). The early mortality rate was 3.6% (two patients). Minor complications consisted of wound infection (13.5%), bronchopneumonia or pneumothorax (four cases) with a 7- to 12-day longer hospital stay. Nelson syndrome occurred in 6 of 41 patients (14.6%). We therefore believe that bilateral adrenalectomy does play a major role in the treatment of patients with pituitary-dependent Cushing's disease unsuccessfully managed by transphenoidal surgery. It represents the definitive therapy for those patients in whom hypophysectomy was not able to provide satisfactory control of the disease.